Compromising Situations
by Gomes
Summary: [SBR] Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.
1. One

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : PG  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : This is my first Profiler fic, and naturally it's a SBR. Too many damn SJR fics out there, if you ask me. But alas, I'm assuming no one *did* ask me. . . sigh Anywho, criticism is more than welcome! Hopefully, I'll have more Profiler fics on the way.  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation -------------------------------  
  
December 23rd -- VCTF, Atlanta  
  
Bailey Malone sat at his desk, studying the last case. His mind kept shifting to a particular blonde woman whom he admired through his window. «Sam . . . » he thought to himself, feeling his pulse thicken everytime his mind wandered in her direction. Oh, how many nights had he dreamt of her. How many days had her beautiful face haunted his every waking thought. But these dreams, these visions were not enough to feed his hunger. He thirsted for her: to taste her lips, her skin . . . to just taste her. «No . . . » Bailey mentally scolded himself. «I'm her boss. I can't expect her to waltz up to my desk, lean seductively on it, and whisper the words 'Bailey, I need you'.» Bailey shook his head.  
  
Just then, Samantha Waters walked into her boss's office - not even bothering to knock. She leaned on his desk, until she was eye to eye with her mentor. "Bail, I need you . . . "  
  
Bailey's eyes immediately focused, he felt his pants grow tight at the groin and his head shot up. "What?"  
  
Sam grinned, and walked over to Bailey's side of the desk, forcing him to quickly cross his legs to conceal his arousal. She leaned down and whispered into his ear. "Aww, was Mr. Grouchy pants disturbed from his afternoon nappy time?" She cooed to him. A snort from Bailey's direction was all she got in response. She gently massaged his shoulders, as Bailey closed his eyes and gently dropped his head. Sam too, closed her eyes, content with the physicality and breathing in his masculine scent. «I can't get too close . . . » she thought sadly. If anything were to happen to Bailey, she could never forgive herself. She had already lost one man she loved. «Tom . . . » And one man she liked a lot. «Coop . . . » But to lose Bailey would be too much to handle. She couldn't afford to lose her best- friend, her mentor . . . the secret love of her life. Her hands kept gently kneading Bailey's strong back and shoulders, and she marveled at the immense amount of strength this man had, but how gentle his soul was. «Definitely a heart of gold.» Sam thought to herself. She always wondered why he never made the effort to find someone after his divorce. Sure, Sam was content that Bailey wasn't seeing anyone, but his happiness was what mattered to her. «I don't get it. He's handsome, has a great body,» she often imagined him without a shirt, where she had the opportunity to feel every muscle in his well-defined chest and back, «he's devoted, treats everyone with respect, kind . . . » Sam knew the list could go on. «Why don't women see what I see?»  
  
"Sam . . . " Bailey's voice was relaxed. "How about you quit profiling, and I'll hire you as my private masseuse?" He joked.  
  
Sam playfully slapped his shoulder, and returned to the other side of the desk, but she let her hand gently glide over his back, down to his arm and parting at his elbow. "As I was saying, I need you to come with me to Canada."  
  
"Why?" Bailey asked, putting away his folders, trying to look busy and not excited at the prospect of spending time with Sam.  
  
"Well, we just received news that there are two serial killers loose, and being Christmas time, no one else volunteered to go. It's just for observation at the moment, though backup is available if we get any leads." Sam sat on the chair. "I know we normally don't work during Christmas . . . correct that, the rest of us, except one person whom I might be able to name!" Sam laughed as Bailey rolled his eyes, muttering 'cheap shot' under his breath. "What I mean is, we normally don't take an international case, especially during Christmas, but I figured we could also use it to . . . " Sam hesitated a little " . . . spend Christmas together." She watched Bailey's reaction, and she could swear that she saw his face light up a little. "I mean, I know Francis is away, and I figured you wouldn't want to be alone . . . " Sam started to babble.  
  
"What about Chloe?" Bailey asked immediately. Sure, it was no big deal for him to leave : Francis was away at college - so he really had no family to spend Christmas with. But Sam, she had Chloe to take care of. Bailey laughed to himself. Hell, he knew he would take care of Chloe in a heartbeat. «I love her almost as if she was my own . . . » He smiled gently.  
  
Sam saw Bailey's distant look again, and yearned to discover what he was thinking of. For some reason, she just couldn't profile him. «Maybe I don't *want* to profile him.» She contemplated, theorizing it to be a mental barrier put up to protect her as well as Bailey. "Well," Sam continued, once again disturbing Bailey's thoughts, "Chloe is spending Christmas with her grand-parents, and I promised I'd be home for New Years." Sam shrugged and sat down. "So, I'm alone." She pointed to herself. "You're alone, as far as you tell me." She pointed to Bailey. She then clasped her hands together. "That leaves us."  
  
Bailey swallowed hard. That simple gesture she did meant so much to him, that he was feeling completely overwhelmed with joy. But he covered up well. «I can't let her know . . . » "What will we be doing there?"  
  
Sam handed him a portfolio. "There are two serial killers, each committing completely different crimes - almost opposites." Sam pointed to two lines of pictures, six pictures in all. "The first preys only on men, brown hair and brown eyes." She looked down at the pictures of the men : All were about six feet tall, a dark-ish complexion and deep brown eyes, though the photos hardly did them justice. "On the other side, three women were murdered."  
  
Bailey looked at the pictures of the women : They were about five feet, seven inches tall, had blonde hair and blue eyes. He sighed aloud. Six people in two days. Three per day. He looked over their stats, realizing immediately a pattern. "Did you see this?" He pointed to the pictures. Sam walked over to Bailey, and leaned over his shoulder. Her hair tickled the side of his neck, and he forced himself to take control of his body.  
  
"They all look the same?" Sam said, finally realizing where Bailey was headed. "And so do all the male victims." Sam pondered for a minute. "Could it be the same killer, but taking on an alter-ego to throw us off?"  
  
"And look at the dates. Two victims, at the same time but in completely different sectors of British Columbia." Bailey looked at Sam expectantly.  
  
"Accomplices?"  
  
Bailey nodded. "On the first day, Jane Wells and Derek Crawll were murdered. Both were shot in the head, right below the left temple. She was 20 and he was 37."  
  
Sam sat on the arm of Bailey's chair. "The second pair, Maura Jones and Randy Mox. She was 30 and he was 47." Sam's brow furrowed as she sensed a deeper pattern was about to surface. "They both died of internal bleeding from wounds to the neck and chest."  
  
"Last but not least, Nancy Weston and Malcolm Toust. 40 and." Bailey paused knowing the answer. "57." He closed the file and rubbed his tired eyes. "Both were hung."  
  
"Something is definitely odd here, Bail." Sam said, reaching over Bailey for the files.  
  
Bailey inhaled deeply; fragments of Sam's scent caressed his nostrils. "When does our plane leave?"  
  
Sam bit her lower lip. "Tonight." She looked at Bailey with puppy dog eyes. "So, are you coming or am I on my own?"  
  
Bailey raised his eyebrow. "Of course I'll be there." He replied softly. Bailey held Sam's gaze for a long time, and after what seemed like an eternity, his cell phone rang. He looked at it, and then back at Sam who was almost out the door.  
  
"Six o'clock, Bail." She said, over her shoulder.  
  
"I'll pick you up at five." Bailey called after her. Finally, he answered his phone. "Malone."  
  
"Hey daddy!" Francis jubilant voice echoed from the other end.  
  
"Sweetheart!" Bailey smiled. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"  
  
"Just to see how you were doing, and to wish you Merry Christmas in advance."  
  
"Thanks love." Bailey smiled. "Be sure to take care of yourself, and if there are any problems, call me, okay?" Bailey's authoritative voice took over.  
  
"Yes sir!" Francis laughed. "I love you!"  
  
"See you soon, honey." Bailey said softly, and hung up. He glanced at his watch. «Three o'clock. Better get ready.» He thought to himself, as he turned the lights off in his office. He walked past his team and bid them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hugs went all around, and Bailey headed down to the parking lot. During his drive home, he thought about the upcoming days, and spending time alone with Sam.  
  
***  
  
December 23rd -- Hartsfield International Airport, Atlanta  
  
Bailey parked his car, and rushed over to the trunk, as Sam was getting out of the passenger side. He checked his car in, and grabbed his duffel bag and shouldered it. As Sam was reaching for her overnight bag, Bailey reached for it at the same time. Sparks flew as their hands touched, and they stared at eachother for a short period. "I'll get it." Bailey said, softly.  
  
Sam smiled, and averted her eyes elsewhere. His coffee-brown eyes was piercing her heart and she had to create some sort of distance between them.  
  
They walked in silence to the gate, and boarded the plane. They were ushered into first class where they both took their seats, sitting down with a sigh. They were both aware of the tension that filled the airplane, and about something not quite being right with the other, but they just couldn't figure out what.  
  
Grace had often laughed about the fact that they were both profilers, yet couldn't decipher eachother. She marveled at the fact that they were aware enough to see a minute detail when it came to crimes, yet were blind enough to overlook the love for one another.  
  
Bailey sighed and leaned his head back. He had made reservations at the Holiday Inn hotel, demanding a joint room. When Sam was out of sight, he asked George to contact one of his friends there, and paid him to install cameras in Sam's room. "She is to be under 100% surveillance." Bailey stated. Being so close to Christmas, and what with the serial killer on the loose, he didn't want to take any chances - especially in jeopardizing Sam's safety.  
  
"Bail?" Sam said, interrupting his thoughts, which had come to be a daily routine.  
  
"Hmm?" Bailey said, his eyes still closed.  
  
"Something's not right in us going to Canada." Sam said, her voice on edge.  
  
With his eyes still closed, Bailey took a hold of Sam's hand and gently kissed it. He turned to her, eyes open and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry kid."  
  
Sam smiled, but looked down quickly. «That's right, I'm just a kid.» She huffed to herself. «Just a kid, a student . . . a friend.» She closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep. «Something's still not right, it's not as it seems . . . » Her mind told her.  
  
Bailey looked out the window, thinking of what Sam had just said. "Not right?" He muttered softly. «Not right as in 'us' going?» He asked himself, and then looked at their hands still clasped together. He gently rubbed her hand with his thumb. «Well, she did ask you because everyone else didn't volunteer. Always can count on poor old, loner Bailey.» He shut his eyes forcefully, willing to sleep away the demons and fears that haunted him.  
  
***  
  
December 23rd -- Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia  
  
The plane landed with a slight jolt, that woke both Sam and Bailey out of a restless sleep. They stepped out into British Columbia's crisp night, and Bailey hailed a taxi. They both got into the taxi with a general uneasy feeling. "Holiday Inn Express, please." Bailey told the driver, who only blew a puff of smoke in response.  
  
Sam rolled down the window, trying to escape from the nauseating smell of cigarettes. Bailey patted Sam on the knee and leaned in. "I think I understand now."  
  
Sam cocked her head to the side. "Understand what?"  
  
"What you said on the plane." Bailey whispered. "Just to let you know," he moved closer to her, "I never doubted your premonitions. I always trust your feelings, Sam."  
  
Sam blushed and gave Bailey's hand a small squeeze. She looked out of the window, watching the Vancouver night-life whiz by. Her eyes glanced towards the rear-view mirror and for a split-second came into eye contact with the driver. He quickly looked away, and sped up a little. She looked at his license that was neatly stuck to the back of his seat. "John Ackmen." She shrugged as she saw the 'Holiday Inn Express' sign come into view.  
  
***  
  
December 23rd Holiday Inn Express, British Columbia  
  
As both agents stepped out, they glanced at the tall building. Bailey turned around to open the trunk, but found that their bags were already on the sidewalk, and that the taxi had just taken off. "Didn't even pay him." Bailey said while scratching his head. He watched as the car disappeared into the horizon and proceeded to pick up their bags when Sam's arm stopped him.  
  
"Bail." Her voice shook with fear.  
  
Bailey looked at her face, and then directly at her eyes. He followed her gaze that was resting on her bag and gasped inwardly. His head darted back up and looked in the direction that the cab had headed in. He glanced down at Sam's bag, and extracting a tissue from his pocket, he picked up the single red rose that was meticulously tied to the handle. "I'll ship this over to Grace and the gang - see if they can get any fingerprints." He said, as Sam lifted both the bags. "You okay with that?"  
  
Sam nodded, still a little frightened.  
  
They entered the building, past a security guard in charge of the doors. After confirmation that they were indeed guests, they proceeded to their rooms. Bailey had already shipped the evidence to the VCTF in Atlanta when Sam started unpacking a few of her things.  
  
Bailey knocked gently on the adjoining door and then slowly opened it to reveal Sam curled up on her bed. At first, he assumed that she was sleeping, but realized that silent sobs shook her body. He rushed to her side. "Sam. Sam . . . " He tried to calm her down.  
  
"Bailey! It was Jack! He followed us!" She was almost in hysterics, to a point near hyperventilating.  
  
Bailey sat her up and wrapped his arms around her small frame. She pressed herself into him, wanting to feel safe in his hold. She rested her forehead on his shoulder, as tears fell staining his white shirt. Bailey kissed her hair. "Sam, I'll protect you, you know that."  
  
Sam pushed him at arm's length, and rushed to her bag. Bailey watched her with confusion and disappointment. Even though she was hurting, he still enjoyed their closeness. He wanted to comfort her, protect her . . . make love to her. «Stop it, you fool! This isn't the time!» He mentally cursed himself.  
  
"The driver's name." Sam choked out, drying her tears. She opened up her cell phone, and proceeded to dial the VCTF phone number. "Grace, hi! It's Sam." She said, regaining her composure. "The flight was good, thanks." There was a pause. "Slept most of the way." Sam smiled despite her scared state. "Bailey slept too." She took a deep breath. "Listen, I need you to ask George to look up something for me." She nodded, muttering a yes and no. After another pause, she fell silent. She took the opportunity, while Grace had gone to fetch George to shoot a glance at Bailey. He was stretched out on her bed, hands tucked behind his head and his eyes closed. His face was relaxed and he looked so peaceful. "Hi George. Good, and you?" Sam laughed softly. "No, Bailey wasn't too much of a pain . . . " She said, glancing at Bailey who had one eye open, playfully glaring at her. "Yes, can you look up a John Ackmen?" Sam sat down on the bed, beside Bailey. "No problem. Call me on my cell, thanks." She said, hanging up. She placed the phone on the bedside table and lay down next to Bailey.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Bailey asked, turning on his side and propping himself up on his elbow. Sam remained on her tummy, her head facing the other side.  
  
"Not really." Came her muffled response. It wasn't the fact that Jack had been so close, that troubled her. It was the fact that he had come so close, so easily. Neither of them had even thought about Jack following them. For some strange reason, she felt that if she left Atlanta, she left Jack behind. But it wasn't the case, and that aspect terrified her : no matter where she went, she would never be rid of Jack.  
  
Bailey gently caressed her hair as he sighed deeply. He halfway understood what she was going through, and he figured why she was in this state. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but Jack had followed them. And so easily he could have killed them. When they were in the car, when they had their backs to him. But, it wasn't the killing that Jack was after. It's the game. Cat and mouse. Dog and Cat. Hunter and Hunted. Still getting no response from Sam, he got up from the bed and left the room.  
  
"Bail?" In a second he was by her side, on her side of the bed.  
  
"Yes, sweetheart?" He said, stroking her cheek with his thumb. The pillow was wet with tears of fear, and the eyes of a frightened child pleaded with him.  
  
"Stay with me." She said, almost inaudibly. "I know," she sat up a little, her voice regaining it's composure. "I know I have to be strong . . . I know I'm weak - "  
  
"- no, no!" Bailey interrupted her. "Sam, you are not weak. I . . . I feel the same way." Bailey dropped his head. "What if something happened to you?" He wiped another tear away. "What would I do?"  
  
"Stay with me." Sam repeated, as she gently took his hand and guided him to her bed. She moved over, so that she was lying in the middle, and Bailey lay down beside her. Slowly, she cuddled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder, and one arm securely draped around his chest. Bailey placed one arm around her, and the other holding her hand that was on his chest. They both fell into a dreamless sleep.  
  
A little after midnight, Bailey's eyes shot open. Sam was still lying beside him, the contact had never been broken. He lay awake in darkness, painfully aware of something troubling. «Something isn't right.» He thought to himself, as his eyes skimmed through the envelopping darkness. He was afraid that his own demons would play tricks on him; shadows projected on the walls by the merciless moon would haunt him until morn; the darkness would slowly suck him into a hellish abyss. But this wasn't his normal thoughts: those that had haunted him through childhood, but others. A somewhat threat was close . . . to close for comfort. He stared into the perditionned darkness for a long time, until his eyes grew heavy with sleep. But he was a fighter : he would not lose Sam. He would protect her until his dying moment, and he knew that's what Jack had planned for him . . . for them.  
  
---TBC--- 


	2. Two

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : PG  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : Ah, part two. Whilst I was forced into back-breaking labor in the hellish recesses of work, my mind began to wander, creating many ideas for my fic; and I can so vividly imagine them and play with them in my head - yet sitting in front of my computer only instigates a smothering blankness that drowns out all creativity. Arg!  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt. 2) -------------------------------  
  
December 24th -- Holiday Inn Express, British Columbia  
  
Nearing the hours of morn, Sam began to move slightly in her sleep. This movement jarred Bailey out of his 'alert mode' sleep, forcing him to deal with reality. Something had been wrong, it just felt wrong. He slowly turned on the light, and glanced over at Sam. He dimmed it slightly, and surveyed the room: everything was in order. He let out a sigh, and turned the light off. He could no longer feel Sam beside him, and the surge of panic that coursed through his body almost made his heart explode. He batted his hand in the darkness, and finally came into contact with Sam, who had curled up on the other side of the bed.  
  
"Bail?" Came Sam's sleepy response. "Everything okay."  
  
"Just thought I'd lost you for a moment." Bailey breathed, moving closer to her.  
  
Sam's eyes were closed, but her mind was going a mile a minute. She glanced at the clock, which only smiled an uneasy 5:27am in return. Realizing that she wasn't going to get anymore sleep, she slowly lifted herself out of bed, cursing softly as her muscles hurt. She sat on the bed, facing away from Bailey and tried to collect her thoughts. "Bailey?"  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"I'm going to take my shower. I doubt I'll get anymore sleep." Sam said, as she began rummaging through her bag. She turned her bedside lamp on, and Bailey squinted despite having his eyes closed.  
  
"Saaam . . . " Bailey playfully whined as he sunk his head below the covers.  
  
Sam smiled despite herself. She lifted up the covers and looked at Bailey. "What? Didn't sleep well last night?" Even though she didn't want to admit it, she slept soundly in Bailey's arms. Despite being a dreamless sleep, she felt rested and ready to take on the day.  
  
Bailey sat up and rubbed his eyes. He debated whether or not he should tell Sam about his doubts . . . his fears. He looked at her with worried eyes, knowing that she would push him to reveal his inner-most thoughts. "Insomnia?" It was more of a question or a test of her gullibility than answer.  
  
Sam raised her eyebrow, challenging Bailey. "Spill it, Malone." She sat down swiftly on the bed, causing it to waver slightly.  
  
Bailey lowered his eyes, afraid that she might label him a wimp. «Weak. I can't be weak - I have to protect her!» He mentally scolded himself. "Well, I can't very well protect you if I'm sleeping, can I?" Bailey replied casually, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary.  
  
Sam let out a deep sigh. She knew that wasn't the truth, or at least the whole truth. What could have spooked her boss that he would actually risk his own health to protect her. «Are his instincts that sharp?»  
  
Bailey breathed relief as Sam seemed to accept his answer. Bailey got up and stretched.  
  
Sam's mouth was almost agape as she observed her mentor's fit body. «A little too fit.» She thought to herself as her eyes traveled over his well defined arm muscles and back. She was sure that there would be a puddle of drool at her feet, but she couldn't take her eyes off Bailey. Luckily he was facing away from her, which gave her not only the opportunity to watch him more discreetly, but it also gave her the chance to see his lower half as well. She nervously bit her lip, and thanked God that he had chosen to sleep in his boxers and undershirt that night. She noted his well-developed buttocks and strong calf muscles. «Bailey is just jam packed with muscles.» Sam thought to herself. She picked up her clothes and proceeded to go to the bathroom. «There is still one muscle I am dying to see.» Sam mused to herself, letting out a secret smile. «. . . or rather feel.» She treated herself with one last glance towards Bailey, expecting him to be stretching some part of his fabulous body.  
  
Brown eyes met blue as Bailey froze. He had been watching her watching him. The windows and pictures that hung against the wall provided enough reflection to see the whites of her eyes. He had been deliberately stretching his most developed muscles hoping that Sam was enjoying the show. When she had finally turned, he took the opportunity to lose himself in her beauty; her curves taunted him as they swayed. But it was at that moment that she turned around. «She must know that I was looking at her . . . » Bailey finally dropped his eyes, and sat on the bed, facing away from Sam.  
  
«Oh God.he must know.» Sam threw her arms up in the air, and walked quickly into the bathroom.  
  
***  
  
December 24th -- Linwood Marina, British Columbia  
  
Sam stepped out of the car and into BC's drizzly morn. She felt refreshed after her shower, and the smell of rain tickled her nose. The trip had been silent, both overwhelmed with the other's presence. But Sam tried to push those forbidden thoughts of Bailey behind her . . . for the moment anyway. Two victims had surfaced, and the killers were still on the loose.  
  
Bailey locked the car doors and joined Sam in walking to the Marina. He nervously bit his lower lip, his mind still wandering back to that episode they had shared at Holiday Inn. He shook his head, not sure on how to read Sam's signals. «She's probably just concentrating on the case.» He told himself. When they finally reached the Marina, they were greeted by the chief detective, Kent Parker.  
  
"Agent Malone." Kent said, extending his hand.  
  
"Parker." Bailey said, accepting. He placed his hand on the small of Sam's back, and ushered her slightly forward. "This is Dr. Samantha Waters. She's our Profiler."  
  
"Pleasure." Kent said, and then handed them a file. "The latest victim, Audrey Brooks. 50 year old."  
  
Sam looked at the body, which was fresh out of the water. Seaweed hung on her, almost giving the illusion that they had dragged her in. "I want a full autopsy." Sam said, while trying to decipher the killer's motives.  
  
Kent raised his eyebrow. "I don't see why, Waters." He said, with a laugh. "Obviously she drowned." He pointed at the slight bloating of the victim.  
  
Bailey narrowed his eyes. "A full autopsy report for Dr.Waters, as soon as possible." He said, in a deep, threatening voice. At that moment, Bailey's cell-phone rang. "Malone." Bailey didn't say a word, but just stared out into the never-ending ocean. "We'll be there as soon as possible." Bailey hung up and looked back at the detective. "I assume that the report will be done before dusk?" Bailey said, taking Sam by the arm. He paused, and thrust a piece of paper into Kent's hand. "Fax it." He muttered, and he and Sam walked back to the car. "Did you pick up on anything?" Bailey asked, as he started the car.  
  
"I don't know.against my gut feeling, it might have been an accidental drowning." Sam said softly, as she looked outside the window.  
  
"Against your gut feeling." Bailey repeated. "Another body has been found. This time it's in West Vancouver instead of North." He said. They drove in silence the rest of the way, each lost in their own thoughts about the case, and the other.  
  
***  
  
December 24th -- Sewell's Marina Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia  
  
"Confident that it was an accident?" Bailey asked as they viewed the newest victim. An elderly gentleman by the name of Norman Tatley, 67 years old.  
  
Sam put on a glove and took out a piece of seaweed that was caught in the man's mouth. She observed it carefully, and placed it back on the body. Images of seaweed being stuffed into the man's orifices and then flung over board appeared in a frazzled array of blotches in her mind. "It's almost as if they were dressed with the seaweed." Sam said, as she walked around the body. "I'll need an autopsy report."  
  
The woman who had been supervising was more cooperative, and nodded a response. With that, Sam and Bailey left back for the hotel, where they could get some paper-work done.  
  
***  
  
December 24th -- Holiday Inn Express, British Columbia  
  
Sam collapsed on her bed and glanced at the clock. It was nearing midnight and she was completely exhausted. They had just returned from the morgue and before, had spent most of the day travelling back from Linwood Marina to Sewell's Marina, trying to find some clues. A small knock jarred Sam from her thoughts and she went to open the adjoining doors; there stood Bailey clad in some sweats and a worn out sweater. Sam stood there with her eyebrow raised.  
  
"I'm sorry, was this a formal event?" Bailey asked with a serious face, but slowly broke out into a grin. He ushered a small trolley past Sam, and began to set up a dinner-for-two. "I figured since it is Christmas, we could have a very late dinner together."  
  
"Sounds great." Sam smiled. "We can pitch out information about the case, while we eat." She rummaged through her bag again. "Since you are so comfortable, I'm going to allow myself the same luxury." She grinned, and went into the bathroom.  
  
Bailey shook his head, smiling and continued to set up the table. When Sam immerged, dressed in checkered pants and a button down flannel shirt, her breath was taken away. There was a small Christmas tree in the corner, and the small table was cloaked with a deep red table cloth, two candles and two plates. "Bail . . . " Sam whispered, putting her hand over her mouth.  
  
Bailey held Sam's chair out, as she sat down in awe. "Hope this pleases you, Sam." He said, sitting down in front of her. "You've been working very hard on this case, and I figured you could use a break."  
  
Sam smiled, as Bailey served her some pasta, with salad and wine to finish off the meal. She took a taste of the pasta, and immediately fell in love. "Let me guess, you cooked?"  
  
Bailey attempted to be modest. "Well, I might have thrown one or two things together . . . "  
  
Their conversation was kept light, matching the mood and they had both agreed to talk over the case after supper. When supper was finally over, and everything had been cleaned, it was almost one o'clock. Bailey bent down near the tree and picked up a small rectangular box.  
  
"I saw this, one day and I just thought about you." Bailey said, not looking Sam in the eyes. He walked behind her and opened the box. Gently placing her hair to the side; letting his fingers linger in the silky softness, he took out the necklace and placed it on her neck. As he closed the clasp, he let his hands rest on her shoulders.  
  
Sam looked down at the necklace : a simple solitaire diamond hung from a very thin chain. "Bail . . . " She turned around and almost jumped in his arms. "It's beautiful!" They held each other for a long while, and when they finally broke apart, Sam was smiling uneasily.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Sam shrugged. "Sorry," she picked up an envelope, "all I got you were some gift certificates."  
  
Bailey exhaled a small laugh. "Sam, just by you being safe is a good enough present for me."  
  
She flashed him a smile, and they both sat down on the bed and opened a few files. "The coroners' reports for Audrey Brooks and Norman Tatley." Sam looked at both of the pictures in the reports, on one side an elderly gentleman with barely any white hair left looked up at her. On the other side, a grey-haired woman lay peacefully. Sam shuddered involuntarily.  
  
Bailey placed his hand on her thigh. "Are you okay?" He smiled at her tenderly. He glanced over her shoulder, and viewed the two pictures. "Either this is the work of a copy-cat or another killer." Bailey said.  
  
"Why say that?" Sam looked at the pictures.  
  
"Well, normally, the woman would be blond and the man would have brown hair." Bailey shrugged. "That is, if we follow the pattern."  
  
"Well, the ages stay true to the profile." Sam replied to which Bailey acknowledged. Both skimmed through the files rather quickly, for their eyes started to get heavy. "Bail." Sam said, placing the file in his view. "Look at Brook's stats."  
  
"Born Audrey Brooks, 1952. Blue eyes, blond hair." Bailey said, glancing up at Sam. "And I guess Norman was quite the brunette in his time." Bailey joked monotonously.  
  
"Blond hair, blue eyes. Brown hair, deep brown eyes. Blond hair, blue eyes. Brown hair, deep brown eyes. Blond . . . " Sam's eyes grew wide. "Bailey . . . " She whispered.  
  
Bailey immediately sensed the fear in her voice. He shuffled over beside her and looked her in the eyes. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Us." She said, staring at the pictures.  
  
Bailey was taken aback. «Us?» He blinked then looked at Sam again. "I don't understand."  
  
"Look." Sam said, pointing to the picture. "The women are all five foot seven, blond hair and blue eyes." Sam said, closing the file. "If someone gave you that description, who would you think of?"  
  
Bailey's eyes rested on Sam's, and she nodded at his comprehension. "And for the men . . . " Bailey said, afraid of the answer.  
  
"About six feet tall, brown hair and deep brown eyes." Sam said matter-of- factly.  
  
"So . . . you think it's . . . " Bailey couldn't even begin to say it.  
  
"Jack." It was barely a whisper, but it silenced both agents.  
  
--TBC-- 


	3. Three

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : R  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : Ah, part three. No notes today - my personality is on vacation.  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.3) -------------------------------  
  
December 25th -- Holiday Inn Express, British Columbia  
  
Bailey and Sam stared at eachother for a long time, both expressing their mutual fears. Bailey checked his watch and then looked back at Sam. "It's getting late, Sam." He said, afraid to mention the word 'sleep'. To him, sleep was the enemy: encased in what may seem as a comforting bubble only interrupted by profound security, sleep has proven to be anything but; sleep is when one is most susceptible to harm . . . sleep is where one can't protect another . . . sleep is futile when being hunted. "We have to interview the coroner tomorrow. I know it's Christmas, but the case comes first." He said getting up slowly. "You get some sleep, and I'll be in the next room . . . " He didn't want to leave her, but he didn't want to offer to sleep in the same bed. However, if she asked him too, it would be a different matter.  
  
Sam was a step ahead of Bailey. She knew he would never refuse her . . . especially at a time like this. Jack was out there, she was painfully aware. "Bail . . ." Her eyes revealed everything, and her tone asked for security.  
  
Bailey simply nodded and climbed into bed. He spooned Sam, almost completely covering her small frame with his body. He snaked an arm across her, holding her near him. Meanwhile, Sam pressed herself back, leaning into Bailey's hard chest. Her breathing was rapid as she tried to calm herself down. «Jack is out to get us . . . » She kept telling herself.  
  
Bailey leaned over resting his chin on her shoulder. "Do you really think Jack wants us both dead?" He whispered into her ear.  
  
Sam just stared in front. Bailey's voice . . . his breath in her ear was having an arousing affect on her and she wasn't sure if she could control herself any longer. "I think . . ." she cleared her throat, "that Jill probably helped Jack with the killings." Sam said, her voice a little shaky. "Those lives were lost because of . . . " Sam stopped herself.  
  
"It's okay." Bailey whispered again, and nuzzled up to her neck. He unconsciously placed a gentle kiss there, which prompted Sam to let out a soft moan. Bailey began to gently graze his fingers over the flannel material that covered Sam's stomach. He dared to go under her shirt and Sam caved her stomach inwardly as his cold fingertips met her belly in an electrifying touch. She soon warmed to his touch, as his strong hand rubbed her stomach. From time to time, his thumb would graze the underneath of her breasts, and Sam found herself aching for more. Bailey couldn't stop himself now, and he realized he would be soon crossing the line between friendship and.«and what, you pervert?» Bailey berated himself. «Here she is, afraid and with all the right in the world to be, asking for some comfort and all you want to do is cop a feel.» He mentally yelled at himself. But he knew he couldn't stop his body, and Sam's soft moans and rapid breathing were driving him crazy. His hand ventured a little lower, stopping right before Sam's womanhood. He left his hand there, and Sam squirmed underneath his touch, hoping his beautiful hand would come into contact with her. Bailey took this as a sign to continue and slowly slipped his hand in her pants. He started caressing her through her panties and Sam inhaled deeply. He slowly moved her panties to the side, and inserted a finger into her.  
  
"Bail . . . " Sam whispered in a sultry voice. She turned slightly and felt his gaze on her. It had been so long since she had been pleasured . . . and she dreamt that Bailey would be the one to supply the pleasure to her. He was looking at her, and she swore she could see love in his eyes . . . love only directed at her. She leaned in, and her lips barely touched his as she climaxed. She thrust her head back and moaned his name.  
  
Bailey snapped back to reality, and was utterly disgusted with himself. «How could you take advantage of her like that!» He cursed himself. He got up and sat on the bed, facing away from Sam. Dropping his head in his hands, he choked out a small "sorry" and headed for the door.  
  
"Bailey?" Sam said, still recovering from her orgasm, propped herself up on her shoulders.  
  
"Sam." Bailey said in a gruff voice. "I can't believe I. . . " He shook his head, hoping that the shaking would rid him of this awful deed he had just committed. "I'm going to take a walk." He said, as he closed the door behind him.  
  
"Bail?" Sam called out after him, but he just kept walking. Sam collapsed on the bed, and gazed up at the ceiling. She turned on the light, and looked up once again. Tears stood in her eyes as she wondered why Bailey would just up and leave. «Didn't he realize that I wanted this?» She asked herself. She closed her eyes for a minute when she suddenly felt a soft almost silky object caress her skin. She opened her eyes and there were a few rose petals dispersed on the bed. Tears welled up in her eyes as she finally felt violated. «Has Jack been in here?» She thought as she looked around. Sam cautiously got up and reached for her gun that was usually lying in her purse. It was gone. She looked around the room, turning on the other bedside lamp in the meantime. Sam gasped as she saw what was written on the wall. In black paint, Jack had drawn a heart with the names Sam and Bailey in it. Then in blood, there had been a large 'X' on it, and Bailey's name had been replaced with Jack's. "No . . . NO!!" Sam crumbled into a little ball and held herself. She was rocking back and forth, when she suddenly felt a little prick in her leg. «Underneath the bed!!» She screamed to herself, but her vision was already getting blurry. She saw a figure immerge from underneath the bed, and she kicked at its face with all her might. The figure staggered back and Sam tried to make a run for it. But the figure was too quick, and grabbed Sam by the neck, breaking her necklace at the same time. The necklace flew straight to the ground, and Sam crashed to the floor, realizing that was as far as she would ever get. «It's over . . . isn't it.» She thought to herself as she succumbed to ever inviting darkness.  
  
"Samantha . . . " It was but a distant whisper from Jack's lips as he wrapped her in the tablecloth, and placed her on the lower shelf of the trolley. " . . . it's our time now." He chuckled malevolently, as he opened the door to cart her out.  
  
There stood Bailey, face to face with his nemesis, the man who had hurt Sam so many times and who continued to plague her life was within his grasp. But he didn't know it was Jack . . . Bailey had never seen Jack. But his instincts weren't rusty at all. "What are you doing here?" Bailey asked, suspiciously.  
  
"Room service." Came the raspy reply.  
  
"At three in the morning?" Bailey said, taking a step closer. He looked past the man, and into the room. Sam was missing. His eyes scanned the room, where they fell upon the syringe, the graffiti on the wall as well as the rose petals. "Where is she?" He yelled, and lunged for the man.  
  
Jack pulled out Sam's gun and aimed it at Bailey. One loud bang and it was over. Jack pushed the trolley out leaving a wounded Bailey in his wake. Bailey slowly reached for his cell and dialed 9-1-1. By the time someone came on the line, he had passed out, but an ambulance was already waiting outside. Bailey was carted to the Delta Hospital in Vancouver. Though Bailey was drenched in darkness, his mind never ceased functioning. Bailey knew that he would survive, only because of the power in his heart. «I'll find you Sam.» He assured himself that, as the paramedics at the Delta Hospital hooked him up to various machines and tended to his wound. Nurses tried in vain to contact his nearest relatives. Getting no response from Janet's house as well as Francis's apartment, she decided to call the VCTF in Atlanta after having found Bailey's badge.  
  
«Who would be there at three-thirty in the morning is beyond me.» She muttered painfully as she stole a look in his wallet. A picture of a dark- haired woman with the inscription 'Janet 1988' was written. There were two other pictures of small girls. «No doubt his daughters.» She remarked to herself, as she eyed the handsome man that lay helpless in the ICU. The last picture was of a blond woman, much younger than he was. Her blue eyes were piercing and the picture seemed rather worn out. It was dated but a year ago, but it seemed that it had been manipulated a lot. The woman was jarred out of her thoughts as someone answered the line.  
  
"VCTF, Atlanta." The security officer said.  
  
"I'm calling on behalf of," she checked his ID card, "Bailey Malone."  
  
The security officer paused. "Yeah, I know him."  
  
"I need someone from his force to come down here." The nurse paused and looked back at Bailey. "It doesn't look good . . . " She said. She gave the coordinates, and the security officer contacted John Grant who then proceeded to call the rest of the gang. It was nearing six in the morning on Christmas Day, when all should have been rejoicing with their families; the VCTF crew were heading down to Vancouver to save one of their own.  
  
--TBC-- 


	4. Four

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : PG  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : And so, the fanfic ensues. Thanks to everyone for their support! :) Just an aside, I hope I am geographically accurate (never been to B.C., but have done some research for this fic) and if I'm not accurate, ah well! Whatcha gonna do?! evilgrin At the moment, I'm not sure where I'm going, but I figure I'll just kick back and see where the road takes me.  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.4) -------------------------------  
  
December 25th -- Delta Hospital, British Columbia  
  
Bailey awoke to the comforting sound of a heart monitor and the warm rays that poured in through his window. He glanced around the ICU room, and tried to analyze his current state of being. «Okay, so I'm in Intensive Care . . . this can't be good.» Bailey moved slightly and almost cried out in pain. He took a sharp intake of breath and looked at his left shoulder. It was bandaged up pretty well, but he could still see the his blood sheepishly seeping through the multiple layers. He suddenly bolted up right. "Sam!" He yelled out, which caught the attention of a passing nurse.  
  
The nurse rushed in to calm the agitated patient. "Mr. Malone . . . please refrain from any unnecessary stress. You really need to calm down . . . " She said, forcing him back in lying position.  
  
"Where is she?" Bailey said, sitting up again.  
  
The nurse rolled her eyes and sighed aloud. «It's so much better when they are unconscious . . . » She thought to herself, as she pushed Bailey back down. "Where is who? There was no one with you when the paramedics arrived."  
  
"Where's Sam?!" Bailey started to freak out. "Jack . . . " He whispered menacingly, which forced the nurse to take a step back. Bailey started to get out of bed. "I have to find her."  
  
"Please, lie back down, Mr. Malone!" The nurse said, in an authoritative voice. This grasped the attention of two more nurses on duty, who rushed to aid their fellow worker.  
  
Bailey sat down on the bed, and swung his legs over. Immediately, his shoulder started to bleed, because the wound opened up again. Bailey collapsed on the bed, his legs still dangling over the side. He grabbed his shoulder and closed his eyes, willing the pain to go away. His heart rate increased tremendously, which caused the heart monitor to wail out.  
  
"He's going into shock!" One nurse shouted out, as they lay him back on the bed. A few doctors were called in to help as the others rushed about to get his heart rate and blood pressure stabilized. He was put on a respirator, just in case.  
  
It was at this moment that the VCTF walked into the hospital. It had been a long flight, and they were still half asleep. When they saw a few nurses rushing about, they all got a bad feeling in the pit of their stomach. John braved against his own fears and walked up to the receptionist's desk. "We're here for Bailey Malone." He said, trying to keep his voice steady. The nurse looked up, and then her eyes trailed across Grace and George.  
  
"He's in ICU at the moment. Went into shock a little while ago." The receptionist motioned some seats. "I'll tell you when you can see him . . . " The team sat down and stared blankly at eachother. "He doesn't take well with authority, does he?" The receptionist muttered, more to herself.  
  
The team took a little comfort in the fact that, despite him fighting for his life, he was still the same old Bailey.  
  
***  
  
December 25th -- Riverbend Cave, British Columbia  
  
Sam awoke, the noise of running water echoed through her ears. She searched her surroundings, and suddenly remembered what had happened. Jack had kidnapped her. Bailey had left her after . . . «after. . . » Sam couldn't even say it. But the feeling was still fresh in her mind, and she could feel his hands caressing her. She closed her eyes and a small moan escaped her lips.  
  
"Samantha Waters . . . I'm surprised at you." Jack said, walking into the small cave. He walked up to the bars that he had placed there, creating a jail-like room deep in the cave. "You liked it last night, didn't you?" He flashed her a toothy-grin which repulsed her to the bone.  
  
"Jack . . . " She said, in disgust. "Where am I?" She walked up to the bars.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jack said, avoiding the question. "You have all the accommodations . . . " He trailed off.  
  
"Where am I?" She asked through clenched teeth.  
  
"Getting a little feisty, aren't we, Samantha?" Jack said, leaning in close. "So, Samantha and Bailey finally see what we have seen for years." He said, pacing in front of the cell.  
  
"I don't understand." Sam said, but she was afraid he knew that she knew.  
  
"Come now, do you really think you can play the innocent with me?" Jack said, and reached for Sam through the bars. Sam backed away but continued listening to him. "You've waited a long time for him to touch you like that, haven't you?" Sam looked away. "Haven't you!" Jack yelled. He took a deep breath.  
  
"If you are implying that I . . . " Sam cut herself off.  
  
"Yes, with the father of your child?" Jack wanted to provoke her.  
  
"I was never unfaithful to Tom." Her voice was low and threatening, which excited Jack all the more.  
  
"Maybe not physically, but psychologically." Jack said, leaning against the bars. "You dreamt of him, you had the forbidden thoughts - and you enjoyed them. Ever since you met him, something drew you to him." Jack took a deep breath again. "But he was your teacher, and too many years your senior." He lit a cigarette. "It seemed morally wrong for you, so you settled on Tom - "  
  
"I never settled! I loved Tom!" Sam interjected.  
  
"I don't question that, but you love him more." Jack spat out, complemented by a puff of smoke. "You always have, and you know it Sam." He shook his head. "Tom knew it too . . . didn't he?"  
  
Warm tears were on the verge of spilling. "You're lying! I never . . . " She couldn't go on. «Could it be true?! Could I have been in love with . . . » She nervously bit her lower lip. «No! He's just getting into your mind, creating false images and beliefs so that you crumble.» She shook her head to clear her thoughts. «He could never harm you physically . . . he's killing you psychologically!»  
  
Jack shrugged, obviously Sam was lost in her own thoughts. "I'm glad I found out of your shared love." He said with a deviant smile. "It gave me a motive to kill him!" Jack snorted. He walked up to the bars and looked at Sam. "You know how I hate to kill without a reason." He pouted, then broke into a hoarse laughter.  
  
"You're sick!" Sam yelled. "Bailey wouldn't give up on me!"  
  
"You sound so sure, even when he's six feet under . . . " Jack said, holding up her pistol. "Still warm, still fresh."  
  
She could smell the gun-powder. She sat down, staring blankly at the cave wall. Fragments of images flashed through her mind. Jack hiding out under the bed, listening to them have dinner and then when Bailey had pleasured her. «He had been there!» She cringed. Finally, she saw Bailey at the door. «He had come back.» Sam knew he would never leave her. There wasn't much of a struggle, but she saw the fear and realization in Bailey's eyes. She saw the gun, and there was a shot. Sam snapped back to reality, and Jack was gone. «Well, it's obviously not Jack who was shot, unfortunately.» She thought to herself. "Oh God, Bailey!" She curled up into a little ball, holding herself. It seemed as if all hope was lost and Jack had finally won.  
  
--TBC-- 


	5. Five

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : PG  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : Ah, good ol' part five. grin Enjoy mates!  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.5) -------------------------------  
  
December 25th -- Delta Hospital, British Columbia  
  
It had been at least three hours since the team had arrived in Vancouver. Three hours since they feared the worst for their leader. Three hours since they sat there helplessly, waiting for the permission to see their friend. Grace and George had managed to doze off a little, and John just stared straight ahead. Finally, a nurse walked up to them. "Are you here for Mr. Malone?" She asked. When they all nodded silently, she let out a shy smile. "There's no need to be worried. He's going to make it." She started to walk away timidly. "You can see him, now. But he needs his rest . . . "  
  
"Leave it to Bailey to scare us senseless." John remarked as they got up and stretched their legs.  
  
"I'm just glad he made it out alive." George said, walking towards Bailey's room.  
  
"Doesn't he always?" Grace quipped as they stepped inside. The stable rhythmic beeping of the heart-monitor seemed rather comforting as they watched Bailey silently.  
  
"Think he's awake?" George whispered.  
  
"Man, this guy has got to stop getting shot at." John shook his head, with a small grin. He walked up to Bailey. "Hey there slugger." He said, giving Bailey a play punch on his arm.  
  
"John . . . " Bailey's voice was gruff. "I'm not above hitting you." Bailey joked, and broke out into a weak smile.  
  
"What?" John lifted up his hands as Grace pushed him aside.  
  
"Stop being condescending, Grant." She said, with a laugh. They all tried to keep the mood light, knowing that it would inevitably help Bailey recover. She placed a hand on his chest, and kissed his forehead. "I hear you gave the doctors a hard time."  
  
"Someone has to give them a run for the money they make." Bailey said, though it sounded more like he coughed it out.  
  
George looked around the room. "Where's Sam? I thought you guys went to B.C. together?"  
  
Bailey inhaled deeply, and exhaled even slower. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye and ran down the side of his cheek. "I lost her . . . " It was barely a whisper, but time stood still as the team exchanged looks with eachother. "I couldn't protect her . . . "  
  
"It was Jack who shot you?" John said, finally understanding. They hadn't even asked why he was in ICU - all they cared about was his well-being.  
  
"I can't even protect her now!" Bailey started to get worked up. "She's at the mercy of some sick bastard, and I'm lying in a freaking hospital bed, when she needs me the most!" His normal, caring coffee-brown eyes suddenly transformed into those of a madman's. "I said . . . I vowed that I would protect her, and I can't even do that right!" Bailey finally closed his eyes, and his breathing gently returned back to normal. "I made a silent promise to her that I would get her back in time for New Year . . . " He looked at them, and their hearts broke at the sight of the amount of pain in his eyes. "If she's . . . "  
  
George placed a hand on top of Bailey's and gave it a light squeeze. "We'll find her, boss."  
  
"Yeah, don't worry Malone. Just get better - you're no help to Sam or even yourself when you're in this condition." John said, patting him on his good shoulder.  
  
Bailey suddenly realized that he'd been acting like a self-centered jerk; only worried about himself and his own state, and he failed to realize that his team had given up their Christmas to fly all the way to Vancouver. "You should be back home with your families." Bailey said, weakly.  
  
"Bailey," Grace smiled, "we all consider you part of our families." She said sincerely. "Now get some rest. The rest of us will start searching. George and I will check the hotel rooms that you and Sam were staying in, and John will do some questioning around."  
  
The team nodded in unison, and they all left. Grace stayed a little behind and watched Bailey through the window. «What that poor man must be going through.» She said, as she watched him bite down on his knuckles to stifle the pained sobs that violently shook his body. Tears welled up in her eyes, as she walked briskly down the hall. «Don't worry, Bailey. We'll find her . . . »  
  
--TBC-- 


	6. Six

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : PG  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : Hmm, I still don't know how many chapters it will take to wrap this up. Mwa ha! I hold the power! Oh, just another aside, the slogan for the Vancouver Caves was COMPLETELY made up. Hell, I'll just call it artistic license . . .  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.6) -------------------------------  
  
December 27th -- Delta Hospital, British Columbia  
  
Bailey sat in his bed, staring at the wall. Grace was the first one to enter, and he looked at her with tired eyes. "You should be resting." She said, brushing her hand through his hair.  
  
"She haunts my dreams, Gracie." He said softly. "I've failed her . . ."  
  
Grace knew that Bailey would be lost without Sam. "I have some good news. We recovered the audio and video tapes from the hotel room."  
  
Bailey's eyes became wide. "Have you seen them yet?"  
  
Grace shook her head. "We figured you should be there . . . " She trailed off, and gently cupped his face.  
  
John barged in, totally oblivious to the tender moment that had just happened. "Good news, boss. The staff seems more than willing to release you from hospital."  
  
Bailey rolled his eyes as Grace broke out into a smile. "Great, we can fly back to Atlanta tonight - "  
  
"We can't leave Sam!" Bailey interrupted Grace.  
  
"Listen, we have more resources back at the VCTF. We'll have more of a chance finding her from there, than here. All our equipment . . . " Grace said.  
  
Bailey put up his arms in resignation. "Okay, okay. I just don't think Jack has left B.C."  
  
George poked his head into the room. "Our jet is waiting."  
  
***  
  
December 27th -- VCTF, Atlanta  
  
The whole team sat in front of the giant screen. George looked at Bailey expectantly, but he only stared straight ahead at the blank screen. His arm twitched slightly in the black sling that hugged his left arm. The staff at the hospital forced him to wear it, and told him to think of it as a going away present - provided that he never return. George stretched his fingers and assumed his position above the play button. «If they find out what I did . . . » Bailey still couldn't forgive himself for violating Sam like that. And he couldn't forgive himself even more for walking out on her after. «I just couldn't face her after . . . » He shook his head. «If you had at least stayed, Jack wouldn't have captured her.»  
  
The realization hit Bailey like a punch in the gut. He grabbed on to the arms of the chair. "It's all my fault." It was a mere murmur, but the rest of the team heard it.  
  
"Shall I run by the tape, boss?" George said, his finger lurking over the play button.  
  
Bailey scanned the room, prepared for the worst judgement in the history of mankind. "Go for it." He said, in defeat. As George hit the play button, Bailey shut his eyes and prayed he wouldn't be shun for his actions. Darkened, hazy images were present, but all was silent. "Where's the audio?" Bailey asked, rather relieved. It was too dim to recognize most of the movements, and since there was no noise, most of his actions would go undetected.  
  
George held up a cassette. "Unfortunately, my friend's technology isn't as advanced as ours." He passed the tape to Bailey. "It's separate, but we can run it at the same time for more accuracy." George suggested.  
  
"No!" Bailey shouted, then lowered his voice, "no, it's okay." Bailey looked back at the screen. It was when Sam had been lying down on the bed, and he had rushed to her side to comfort her. It was slightly clear when the lights were on. He flipped the tape in his hands nervously. "You guys continue watching the video, and I'll take a listen to the audio." Bailey said, getting up.  
  
"Need any help?" John offered.  
  
"No, thanks John." Bailey said, and headed towards his office.  
  
"Why is he so secretive?" John asked Grace as they watched Bailey solemnly walk into his office, shutting the door and then the blinds.  
  
Grace rolled her eyes, surprised that John didn't assume the obvious. "I'll tell you when you're older." She joked, and the team returned their attention to the video, jotting down the times and anything out of the ordinary.  
  
Meanwhile in his office, Bailey took a small recorder from inside a drawer. Placing it on his desk, he dusted it off a little. He popped in the tape, and went to hit the play button, but hesitated and withdrew his hand. He paced around the office for a little, and bent down to retrieve his whiskey bottle. «I know I shouldn't be drinking, but desperate time calls for desperate measures.» He reasoned with himself. He sat back at his desk, nursing his drink. He went to hit play again, but unconsciously used his left hand to do this act. This put a lot of tension, and caused a shock to bolt right through it. Bailey grasped his left shoulder, and bit down on his lip to prevent himself from screaming out in pain. He forced himself to breathe slowly, and the pain subsided slightly. He moved his arm very slowly, making sure there was sufficient blood flow. Finally, summing up enough courage, he hit the play button.  
  
. . . . . . "Samantha . . . " It was again an echo of a mumble.  
  
«He had planned this whole thing. He knew what hotel we were staying at, what places we were investigating.» Bailey could not believe that they had fallen prey to Jack's trap. «It was just so easy for him. And I helped!» Bailey fast-forwarded the tape.  
  
. . . . . . "Do you really think Jack wants us both dead?" His own voice played back on the machine.  
  
Bailey cringed: he knew what was coming next. He took a sip of his whiskey letting the warmth slide down his throat. He closed his eyes, recreating the scene. In the background, Sam's moans caressed his ears.  
  
. . . . . . . "Bail!" Sam moaned as what Bailey expected to be her climax.  
  
«Why did you do it? Why did you ruin what you two had?» Bailey yelled at himself. «I wanted to please her. . . I wanted her to be happy.» He reasoned back. «Many would kill for your kind of relationship. It was very special - one that only comes around every thousands of years.» He was starting to get frustrated. «I wanted more!» «More?! It's always about you, isn't it?! You never think about her!» «That's a lie!» «Is it? Think back to when you asked her to join the force again. Why did you want her back? To help with the case?» Bailey took another sip. «You know that's not true.» The voice in his head provoked him. «You needed to see her - dreams just weren't enough for you. But did you ever think of what it has done to her? Physically and psychologically?» Bailey let out a frustrated yell and threw his glass of whiskey against the wall. "Enough." He told himself. He sat down hard on the couch, and dropped his head in his hands.  
  
The team had heard the shattering glass. John has started to get up, but Grace held him back. "Let him fight his own demons." She said, looking towards Bailey's office.  
  
Bailey sat a long time, debating with himself, cursing himself and finally pitying himself. Finally, Jack's voice boomed on his player.  
  
. . . . . . "It's our time now. . . "  
  
Bailey mouthed the words. «Where have I heard these words before?» He got up and searched frantically through his drawers and finally produced a few pamphlets. A loud bang thundered from the boom box which caused Bailey to stop in his tracks. He stared at the player, feeling his left shoulder pulsate with pain at the sound of the gun shot. This had been when he was shot. He could distinctly hear the wheels squeak as Jack had pushed the trolley away. «She had been on the trolley.» He finally told himself. Bailey picked out a few of the pamphlets and turned the player off. He took the tape and threw it into his safe-keeping box and locked it tight. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked towards the team. "Find anything?"  
  
All eyes were focused on him as he sat down at the head of the table. "Everything okay, boss?" John asked, genuinely concerned.  
  
Bailey smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, just had a conversation with an old friend, and I just have to accept some facts in life." He tried in vain to change the subject. "So, Georgie, what do you have for me?"  
  
George fast-forwarded the tape to specific times. They were mostly in the day, when both had been out investigating. "Jack must have first gotten access through the window."  
  
"We were on the tenth floor!" Bailey said, surprised.  
  
"Leave it to Jack. . . " Grace shook her head.  
  
"Well, we figured that he went inside through the window, and then made a copy of the room key." George said. "I also assume that he created a fake ID pass, thus allowing him access into the Holiday Inn itself. My guess is, he sneaked into the room when you guys left, and just hid out under the bed."  
  
"He might have also been using your room, Bail." John said. The room service lady said that it was always in impeccable form, the mints were still on the pillow."  
  
Bailey dropped his eyes on the table. "She asked me to stay with her," he offered, "we were both scared that Jack might. . . "  
  
"It's okay Bail, we'll get her back." Grace comforted him. "So, since there was no activity in your room, on your behalf, Jack would have had the perfect hide-out."  
  
"It gets a little fuzzy at night, making it harder to see. Unfortunately, my friend didn't have a night-cam." George apologized.  
  
"Fortunately." Bailey muttered under his breath.  
  
"Here, we can see one figure leave, which I guess is you." George pointed to the screen. "Sam looks at the door for a long time, turns on the light and lies down."  
  
On the screen, hand immerged from underneath the bed which caused Bailey to jump. He looked around, embarrassed.  
  
"Don't be embarrassed Bailey." Grace said. "It caught us all by surprise."  
  
"Yeah, John screamed like a girl." George said, laughing, to which John only shot him a look.  
  
Bailey smiled a bit as he continued to watch. His smile faded fast as he watched Sam struggle with Jack. She kicked him in his face. «That's my girl . . . » Bailey thought. Suddenly, Sam made a desperate attempt to run, but Jack grabbed her by the neck.  
  
Grace absently placed her hand on her own neck. "Oh Sam . . . "  
  
Bailey watched as Sam hit the floor, and Jack wrapped her in the tablecloth and placed her on the lower shelf of the trolley. Grace placed a small ziplock bag in front of Bailey. "What's this?" He asked, and immediately recognized the solitaire diamond necklace that he gave to Sam.  
  
"We found it on the floor in the room. We also checked the syringe and there are no prints, except for Sam's." Grace said.  
  
"No one has seen or heard anything except for the gunshot." John said, looking at the screen. They all swallowed hard when Bailey collapsed on the floor after being shot. "The manager said that the paramedics had already been waiting outside, for they had been called earlier. One of them had wandered in and was looking around, because no one seemed in distress. When he heard the loud bang, he rushed towards the area." John continued.  
  
"Do you think Jack called for the ambulance, that Jack planned all of this?" George said.  
  
"He planned every detail." Bailey said, in a disgusted tone. "Every sick, twisted detail! He doesn't want me dead . . . not yet anyway. He wants to see me suffer . . . " Bailey said as the video ended.  
  
"Anything on the tapes?" John asked, off Grace's 'what the hell are you doing bringing that up' look.  
  
Bailey shook his head. "Actually," he spread out the pamphlets in front of the team.  
  
"Thinking of going on vacation?" John joked.  
  
"As much as I need one . . . no." Bailey said. "When Jack was carting Sam out, he said 'it's our time now'." Bailey said, and his hands hovered over the pamphlets. He picked one up and handed it to George. "Project that." He said. The pamphlet was enlarged so the whole team could see.  
  
"Vancouver? We were just there." George said, not understanding where his boss was headed. "You think that Jack has taken up residence in Vancouver?"  
  
"Well, not permanent residence, but I know he's still there." Bailey said.  
  
"Okay, so we are looking at the Vancouver Caves, what's that?" Grace asked, also feeling in the dark.  
  
"There are literally hundreds of caves in Vancouver - if not more. I think Jack has her in one of them." Bailey explained. "Look at the slogan for the Horne Lake Caves."  
  
"Make it your time?" Grace questioned Bailey. Then it finally dawned on her.  
  
"Do you think Jack wants to make it that easy?" John asked, not entirely believing Bailey's hunch.  
  
"Or could it be a slip up?" George asked, searching up Vancouver caves on the internet.  
  
"It's not about making it easy, John." Bailey said, standing up. "Jack gets pleasure out of chasing and being chased. It's a game to him."  
  
"Okay, listen to this. In the Horne Lake caves, there are at least two caves open to the public : Main and Lower."  
  
Grace looked over George's shoulder. "And there's Riverbend Cave."  
  
"Yeah, but that was gated in 1971. They used to have guided tours before, but it proved to be too dangerous when a man lost his step and fell to his death." George said, reading the article. "They only found his body four years later."  
  
"Gee thanks, George!" John said sarcastically. "If Jack really has Sam there, you sure gave us an incentive to go!"  
  
"Okay team!" Bailey said, winning their attention. "Our plane leaves tomorrow, and we're not coming back until Sam is with us." He headed towards his office. Stopping, he looked over his shoulder. "Now go spend a late Christmas with your families." He then continued his route. «I'll bring you home Sam.» He promised himself as he gently closed the door to his office, mentally preparing himself for the morrow.  
  
--TBC-- 


	7. Seven

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : PG  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : Next part : not sure if it makes sense.  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.7) -------------------------------  
  
December 28th -- Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia  
  
The team stepped out into the sunny rays that Vancouver's sun cast upon them. The flight seemed to have taken longer and they were glad they were on ground again. John stretched and shouldered his bag. "Let's get some food, I'm starved!"  
  
"There was food on the plane." George muttered.  
  
"You call that food, Georgie-boy?" John stepped in front of him. "The plastic forks had more nutrients."  
  
"Okay guys." Bailey walked passed them. "Let's get to the hotel." This time, the team opted for a small inn, close to a marina and the Vancouver Islands.  
  
***  
  
December 28th -- Paige Point Inn & Marina, British Columbia  
  
The team smiled as an elderly woman guided them to three separate rooms. "This one's for the lady." She said, as Grace thanked her and began to unpack. "For the two gentleman," she pointed to John and George who cast eachother joking looks, "this room features two separate beds." She finally came to a room with a large brown door. "This is my room, where handsome will be staying." She laughed. Bailey's eyes grew wide. "Just kidding!" She said and pointed to the room right in front of John and George's door. "That's your room, sweetie." She said, and entered her own room. "Dinner will be at six o'clock." She said, closing the door.  
  
Bailey just stood there, staring at his door. John walked up to him. "What's up, chief?"  
  
"I think she just copped a feel." Bailey said, looking at the old woman's door. The rest of the team burst out laughing and Bailey rolled his eyes. "A big help you guys were . . . " He muttered lightly. "Okay, unpack, and we'll meet up in John and Georgie's room in ten minutes.  
  
After they had all unpacked and freshened up, the team sat, dispersed in the room. John and George were on their respective beds while Grace sat on a small recliner. Bailey had taken occupancy on the floor, leaning against the end of George's bed. His arm was still in a sling, and thankfully was healing rapidly. "So, what do we have so far?" He asked.  
  
"As for any identifying DNA . . . nada." Grace said. "All prints belong to Sam and you. Oh, the investigator that we sent to look around the hotel did find the trolley that Jack wheeled Sam out on." Grace said, handing Bailey some pictures. "He didn't touch it, but just took some pictures."  
  
Bailey scanned through the pictures. At various angles, the trolley was neatly placed on top of a closed dumpster, in plain view. "Reminds me of a trophy . . . " Bailey said, more to himself. "Good work, Grace. What else, gentlemen?" Bailey turned his attention to John and George.  
  
"Well, I've interviewed the guard at the door, and get this: he had a large sum of money placed at his doorstep, willing him to come in five minutes late for work everyday you guys were at the hotel." John re-read his notes then looked up. "He figured, what could happen in five minutes." John closed his notebook. "Five thousand dollars." He stated plainly.  
  
Bailey shook his head. "That's how Jack got in with such ease." He looked up at George - their last hope. "George?"  
  
"Got it!" George said, hunched over his laptop. "I've located the exact whereabouts of the Horne Lake Caves." He turned the screen towards the team as they gathered up close. "Here's Main and Lower caves, which have guided tours from ten o'clock in the morning until seven o'clock at night."  
  
"So?" John said, studying the pictures of various stalactite moldings.  
  
"Well, to get to the Riverbend Cave - where we are assuming Sam is being kept - you have to go through the Lower cave. There's no other way, unless you take a boat across the river and then mountain-climb up the side of the mountain." George looked at the team. "Jack probably headed into the caves on the guided tour, charted out a map so he could easily return later."  
  
Bailey nodded. "Good work, George. John?"  
  
John nodded. "Right on it, boss! I'll interview the touring guide." He paused at the door. "George?"  
  
"Horne Lake Caves Touring Company." George said, from behind the laptop.  
  
"Thanks." John said, and headed out the door.  
  
"John!" Grace called after him. "I'll come too." She proceeded out the door, closing it gently.  
  
Bailey watched the back of the laptop as George clicked away. "Yes!" George smiled. "Here, I hacked into the Canadian government and I got the entire map of the caves - including Riverbend!" Georgie hit the print key, and an old printer came to life.  
  
Bailey got up and patted George on the back. "I couldn't have done this without you." Bailey said.  
  
George smiled. "Any time." He ripped the piece of paper from the printer and studied it. "It's an old copy, I just hope that no human or nature events have disturbed the structure."  
  
"Whatever it is, it's our last hope to finding Sam." Bailey said, moving away from George. "We'll wait until the two get back, and then we'll head out." Bailey paused, his hand still on the door handle. "See if you can contact the local police, ask for a few men back-up."  
  
"Right on it!" George said, picking up the phone.  
  
***  
  
December 28th -- Paige Point Inn & Marina  
  
The team sat around the bed once again. "Okay, status reports." Bailey said, pointing to Grace and John.  
  
"Okay, well we found the company with ease, and they were more than willing to help us." John said, handing each a copy of a list. "We're assuming that Jack had taken the tour not more than a week ago."  
  
"So here's a list of all the people who have taken the guided tour. It's customary for them to show ID before and after the tour - because if anything happens, someone is missing or injured or anything, it just makes things easier." Grace cut in.  
  
The group scanned the names. "Have these been checked out?" Bailey asked.  
  
"All of them but one." Grace said, turning the pages. "Page 8. The man showed up, but wasn't there when they finished the tour. They claim they got a call from the man, saying that he was already on his way home." Grace located the name. "John Ackmen."  
  
Both George and Bailey's head shot up. "What?" They said in unison.  
  
Grace's brow furrowed. "You know this man?"  
  
"He was my taxi driver." Bailey said, beginning to pace.  
  
"Sam called me to look up some information on him. I never found anything." George said.  
  
John studied the name. "George, can you find the Vancouver Registered Taxi Corp.?" George nodded and started typing away. "Okay, now type in Ackmen." John looked at the screen and then his eyes grew wide. "See, they have an odd way of classifying their drivers. They take the first initial of their name, and the three first letters of their family name."  
  
Bailey walked up to the screen, and at least seven Ackmen were register taxi drivers. "John Ackmen. That would be J-Ack." He looked at the rest of the team.  
  
"Well, that confirms our suspicions on Jack." John said, plopping down on his bed.  
  
Grace looked out the window, where the moon was looming high in the sky. "Okay, we have the maps, there's a definite ID . . . we move out first thing tomorrow." She said, heading towards her room. "Get some sleep, guys." She said, looking directly at Bailey.  
  
Bailey clasped his hands together. "Right, first thing tomorrow morning, we head out to find Sam." He went into his room and gently closed the door. Taking off his shirt and suit pants, he climbed into bed clad only in his boxers and undershirt. «Crazy old woman keeps the heating on so high . . . » he muttered, once again staring off into the darkness. «Sam, it won't be long - just hang in there.»  
  
--TBC-- 


	8. Eight

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : PG  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : And the saga continues.  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.8) -------------------------------  
  
December 29th -- Horne Lake Caves, British Columbia  
  
The team arrived at the Horne Lake Caves Touring Company headquarters. Bailey stepped out of the car, and looked across a barren river gently flowing by. He glanced at the rocky formation that housed numerous caves. "Let's get Sam." He said, more to himself. The rest of the team followed silently. Bailey pushed the door open with his good arm. His left shoulder was still healing, and Grace has almost forced him at gunpoint to keep the sling on; Bailey had reluctantly agreed.  
  
"Hello! Welcome to Horne Lake." An overly chipper boy greeted the VCTF team. Off their looks of incomprehension, the boy proceeded to give a long briefing of the history of Horne Lake.  
  
Grace spoke up. "We're here from the FBI." She said, and looked at him expectantly. Realizing that he still hadn't put two and two together, she tried a more direct approach. "Can I speak with your manager?" The young man nodded enthusiastically and headed towards the rear of the building.  
  
"Damn trainees." John muttered, looking at the map that was hung on the wall.  
  
George caught site of the map, and took out the one that was neatly folded in his pocket. "It's not the same." He said, observing both maps at intervals.  
  
"That's an updated version." A tall, burly man entered the room followed by his little 'protégé'. "They took out a lot of unnecessary and un-traveled paths, so that adventurers wouldn't be tempted to explore most of the uncharted area." He turned towards Bailey, extending his hand. "Greg Swain." Bailey accepted the man's hand.  
  
"But it's not uncharted." George held up his map.  
  
"Let's see." Greg took the map from George and studied it. "Well I'll be!" He shook his head. "I thought the last known copy of this here map was seized by the government." He eyed George. "Computer boy, huh?" He laughed heartily and slapped George on the bag, sending him stumbling in front.  
  
"Listen, Mr. Swain, we would like to explore some of the caves today." Bailey stepped up. "I have two officers from the local police force here, and I'll be needing your most experienced guide."  
  
Greg nodded for a second and sat down lazily in his chair. Glancing out the window, he looked at the mountains and a gentle smile crept on to his face. "These here mountains are like a home to me. Grew up on 'em, you know? My son Jeff here," he pointed to the enthusiastic boy, "is going to be just like his old man."  
  
John eyed the scrawny little boy. "Better start eating . . . " He muttered to himself and George. The two men shared a knowing smirk.  
  
Greg stood up, his eyes burning with a new-found light. "We ready?"  
  
The team looked at eachother. "You're coming?" Bailey asked.  
  
"Hell yes. No one knows these caves better than I do." Greg was already in the middle of putting on his hiking boots and Jeff returned with an old duffel bag. The boy was almost dragging it on the floor, but Greg picked it up with ease. "Let's go."  
  
***  
  
December 29th -- Horne Lake Caves, British Columbia  
  
The team had been walking for several miles now, and they each had to carry their own gear. Hiking equipment was a must. They had explored two caves thoroughly in the Lower area and were still baffled as to where Jack could have taken Sam. "Riverbend Cave is composed of many smaller cave-like chambers." Greg said, quite a distance in front of the team. He glanced over his shoulder and found them all sitting on the ground and catching their breath. Shaking his head, he let out a laugh that erupted from his belly. "What kind of training does one have to go through, to become an FBI agent?" He trekked back a little, and joined the rest of the team. "I guess we might as well take a little break and plan our next strategy."  
  
"Great idea!" John said, digging into his bag. He pulled out a 6 foot sub and began to devour it.  
  
"Eat lightly there, fellow." Greg said. "It'll be harder for you to hike with a full belly."  
  
John grinned. "Look, if nature calls, what better place to answer it than in the woods?"  
  
"Yeah, and you'll probably push certain species of animals towards extinction." George laughed.  
  
The whole team ate, except for Bailey. He had wandered a little further and was looking at a few openings down the path. He tried to picture where Jack would have taken Sam. «Somewhere not too far . . . » He thought to himself. He heard a twig snap behind him and immediately took out his gun and aimed it in that direction. "Gracie." He sighed, and put his gun back in the holster.  
  
"Sharp instincts, Malone." She said, handing him half a sandwich. "You have to eat something." She gave him a 'don't-argue-with-me-on-this-one' look and Bailey graciously took the sandwich.  
  
"Thanks." He took a bite, and looked up the path. A few cave openings poked out here and there. "It's going to take a while, isn't it?" He asked, though it was more of a rhetorical question.  
  
"We're close to Riverbend cave, and George is a good map reader. If you're afraid of getting lost -"  
  
" - I'm afraid of being too late." Bailey cut Grace off. He started to pace. "I just want to climb up the tallest tree and call out to Sam. I just want to tell her that I. . . " Bailey paused and looked at Grace. ". . . that I'll find her." He said softly, and returned to the team.  
  
Grace stared at him for a minute. "Yeah right." She muttered sarcastically to herself. «I know damn well what you want to tell her, Malone. We all do . . . even Jack, and that's what makes it hard for you, and easy for him.» She continued towards the group.  
  
"Okay, head North where we'll find the Riverbend Cave access. Riverbend is littered with small caves with dead ends. Just one entrance, that's it. They almost look like small rooms." Greg said, as they started heading into another cave. They past a 'Danger' sign and stopped in front of a line of barb wire. John took out some extra durable clippers and cut a small opening through the wire fence.  
  
It had been four hours and they still hadn't found a trace of Jack or Sam. They had carefully checked each cave, making sure for any traps and even hidden chambers but still nothing produced itself. Bailey was starting to feel like Jack had led them on a wild goose chase, and he was starting to doubt his abilities as a profiler. «What if he's not even in the Canada?» He asked himself. He looked over at his team - observing them when they weren't aware. «They probably pity me and are doing this to humour me. "Poor old delusional Bailey," they're probably saying, ready to send me to an institute. And here I am, working on absolutely nothing except for a phrase muttered by some maniac stalker who's taken the only reason worth living, away from me.» He punched the wall and it echoed through the stone corridor. Letting out a deep sigh, Bailey stepped out of the entrance and went outside. Just up ahead, there was another cave opening. He stared at it for awhile.  
  
***  
  
December 29th -- Riverbend Cave, British Columbia  
  
Sam sat in the cell-like cave. Scraps of food lay about, as well as a bottle of water. She didn't even remember how many days it had been, but she was falling short of hope of being rescued. «I miss you, Bailey.» She thought somberly. She cried at night, when she was sure Jack wouldn't see her. Outside, she put on a brave face. She looked up, and he was staring right at her, sitting on the floor with a cigarette in hand.  
  
"Samantha, love." Jack said, approaching the cell. "You've barely eaten."  
  
"Like I would trust you." Sam spat out, causing Jack to laugh. She could survive without eating, but she knew she would have to drink. She eyed the bottle of water.  
  
"You're thirsty." Jack observed. "Samantha, I would never hurt you." Jack said and leaned against the bars.  
  
Sam reasoned with herself. At first, she was afraid he had poisoned the water, but she thought back to her small profile of him. «He wouldn't physically cast harm upon me - not willingly!» She had no choice. She took the bottle and looked at it. It was crystal clear : no bits of any substance floated, nothing out of the ordinary. She slowly twisted of the cap, and let it fall to the floor. Sniffing the contents, she again found no evidence that it was poisoned. She shot a glance at Jack, who had been watching her with a toothy grin.  
  
Jack put his hands up in defence, and turned around, popping another cigarette into his mouth. "The water was taken from a spring, Samantha. It's all natural."  
  
Sam took a small sip and tasted nothing out of the ordinary. She took another sip, followed by a gulp. Her mouth and the skin around it was drying fast, and she feared dehydration. The water was cool, and gently quenched her thirst. She retrieved the cap, and placed it back on the bottle. «The food I don't dare eat, but at least I won't die of thirst.» She thought to herself.  
  
Jack turned around, grinning to himself. He patted his coat pocket, and tablets in a small cylindrical bottle tapped back. «So easy they begin to trust.» He laughed and looked back at Sam. «She responded quickly.» He thought to himself, observing her as she lay on a small grey cot that was placed against the back wall. «Time's almost up.»  
  
--TBC-- 


	9. Nine

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : PG  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : Well, since I don't have a social life, I've decided to finish this up. Me thinks there is still one or two more chapters, but I'll probably post them all in one go.  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.9) -------------------------------  
  
December 29th -- Horne Lake Caves, British Columbia  
  
"That's a special cave, here at Riverbend." Greg said, catching up with Bailey. He looked at the agent, and observed him. "I never asked . . . what exactly are we looking for?"  
  
"Who, not what!" Bailey snapped. His tone calmed a little. "A woman whom I swore to protect was taken from me . . . because of me - because I let my guard down. I was caught in a compromising situation, and instead of dealing with it, I ran. And I will never forgive myself for what happened to her." Bailey paused and took a sip of water from his gourd. "I need to get her back, for her to be safe. Her daughter needs her, her friends need her, and . . . I need her." He said, and dropped his eyes to the ground.  
  
Greg nodded. "About the cave. There's one big room in the middle, and it splits into three separate rooms." Greg advanced to the entrance, and the rest of the team caught up. "Someone should stand at this entrance, in case the suspect tries to escape."  
  
"And you're sure that Jack his holding Sam here?" John asked, surveying the caves.  
  
"If he's here, this is the last place he could be hiding." Greg said, casting a glance at Bailey. Up to date, he hadn't even been sure if the FBI agent's hunch was correct, and as much as he didn't want to admit, he figured there would be a slim chance that a serial killer would be stupid enough to come here. In all honesty, Greg was even going to skip the cave, but he saw the glimmer in Bailey's eye. Perhaps not to humour the man, but more so to support him, Greg has reluctantly agreed to scope out the caves.  
  
Bailey ordered the one officer to stand guard, with weapon drawn. "He's a deranged and dangerous man. He will attack if he feels threatened." Bailey said. He told George and Grace to wait for him at the entrance as well. Bailey knelt down on one knee and lifted up his pant leg. Extracting a small pistol from an ankle holster, he handed it to George. "Be vigilant, Georgie." He first looked on either side of the mountain where the cave was neatly set in. On one side, it sloped sharply towards an endless sea of trees and greenery. On the other side, it took a deep plunge into ice cold rapids that were forever tormented by jagged rock formations. Bailey swallowed hard and proceeded into the cave. He was strongly aware of his heightened breathing and thick pulse rate. «Wouldn't be surprised if I had a heart attack.» He thought bitterly to himself. «Maybe I'm getting too old for this job.» He pushed those thoughts out of his head as the team reached a rather large, subterranean passage. The ceiling was high and smooth with very little stalactite formations. They glanced at each opening. Bailey paused and pointed at the first officer, Carlos Uman. He silently told him to check out the first cave. Bailey then ushered John into the second and he would take the third. They each walked in their own directions.  
  
***  
  
December 29th -- Riverbend Cave, British Columbia  
  
Jack looked at his watch. It had been 25 minutes since Sam had taken a sip of water. «Eve eating the apple that the snake gave to her.» He mused as he unlocked her cell. She was curled up, facing away from him. He approached her, and stopped a few feet away, admiring the object of his lust. He hesitated, afraid that she was pretending and would jump him the moment he got near. Leaning slightly, he grabbed her shoulder and turned her on to her back. «Didn't even put up a fight.» He thought smugly.  
  
Sam's eyes fluttered open, but it seemed as if weights were holding them down, forcing her into an unwilling darkness that ate at her mind, and swallowed her whole. She saw Jack looming over her. «Why am I so tired . . . so helpless?» She asked herself. Her head fell slightly to the side: she had lost complete control of her body, and even her thoughts were drifting towards a hazy end. «The water!» It finally dawned on her. She lifted her arm to push Jack away, but he easily grabbed hold of it. It was like everything was moving in slow motion. "Jack, no!" She tried to say, but it was a slur to her own word; fear mixed with anger escaped her lips, but her body did not respond. She felt the dark tentacles pull her further into the abysmal gloom and she could do nothing to stop it. They pulled at her body and mind - reality slowly inching further and further away, leaving her behind in the tortured fantasy of a lunatic.  
  
"So beautiful." Jack whispered, as he cut open her shirt, exposing her bare belly and breasts. He touched her chest through the lace fabric that composed her bra. Suddenly, a crack echoed through the caves. Jack put the scissors down and cautiously headed towards the entrance of the cave. He leaned up against the wall, and peaked out from the corner. He came face to face with a gun. "Malone." He said.  
  
Bailey held the gun in place, hatred burning in his eyes. He noticed the slight falter in Jack's voice. «I control the game now, Jack.» He thought to himself. He wanted to blow him away right now. But he couldn't. To kill in cold blood was morally wrong, and against procedures. Bailey had the upper hand, and he would arrest Jack. "Where is she, Jack?" Bailey said, pushing Jack back with the barrel of his gun.  
  
Jack took a few steps back and grinned. "Good that you could visit me, Malone." Jack said with a laugh. "I didn't think you would be perceptive enough to listen to my clues." Jack looked Bailey in the eyes. Though fire coursed through his eyes, Jack could see the fear that shyly clung to the contours of his irises. "You doubted yourself at first . . . had almost given up hope."  
  
"Where is she?" Bailey repeated. He didn't want Jack to start talking - distracting him. He wanted to arrest him, get Sam and get the hell out of here.  
  
"Your shoulder has healed?" Jack asked, motioning to Bailey's sling-adorned arm.  
  
"Shut up." Bailey said. Jack looked towards the room, towards Sam. Bailey saw Jack's eyes wander and followed his gaze: there lay Sam, motionless on the cot. His eyes slammed back at Jack. "She's not dead!" It was more of a dare than a question. He forced his gun closer to Jack's face.  
  
Jack knew that Bailey would blow his face off is Sam was dead. But he also knew that Bailey was aware that Jack would never kill Sam. "She's resting." He merely whispered.  
  
"Turn around." Bailey said, but Jack stood his ground. "Turn around!" Bailey yelled, and cocked his gun. Jack rolled his eyes, and turned around. "John, Carlos!" Bailey called out, still never taking his eyes of Jack. "I'm going to love to see your ass fried on the chair."  
  
"I prefer lethal injection." Jack muttered sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, be sure that I'll be the one to jab it into the vein." Bailey said, taking out his handcuffs.  
  
"So, you liked touching her, huh?" Jack said, grinning.  
  
"What?" Bailey took a step back, but held his gun aimed at Jack.  
  
"Did she ask you to . . . touch her like that?" Jack asked, and looked over his shoulder.  
  
"N-no. But . . . " Bailey stuttered.  
  
"You feel guilty don't you." Jack turned around, not afraid of Bailey's gun now. He slowly felt the scale of power tipping towards him. "Violating her like that."  
  
"Shut up." Bailey said softly. «Where the hell is John and Carlos?!» He asked himself, as he felt his hands start to tremble.  
  
"Look what it does to you." Jack said, noticing Bailey's hands shake. "You might as well have raped her!" He blurted out. "And you did that for love?!" Jack took a step towards Bailey. "You watch her, follow her home sometimes. You claim it's out of protection but you hunger to see her. Anything to touch her, to smell her . . . just to be near her." Jack now had a hand on Bailey's gun and lowered it to the ground. "What makes you different than me?"  
  
Bailey felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. His defenses were down and he felt as though he couldn't live with himself anymore. «I'm no better than Jack.» Tears threatened to spill.  
  
"I can end it now, Malone." Jack took the gun from Bailey's hand. He held the gun and aimed it towards Bailey.  
  
Bailey was drowning in self-pity and was not aware of the transfer of power. «I would never hurt her, physically or emotionally, but that's what Jack claims too!» He yelled at himself. His eyes were blazing with pure anger, and just as Jack pulled the trigger he slapped it out of his hand. The gun fell to the floor, but still released a screaming bullet towards Bailey. The bullet grazed Bailey's calf, leaving a crimson line in its wake. Bailey bent down and grasped his leg.  
  
Jack started to make a run for it, not before bidding an unconscious Sam farewell. "Until next time, love." He whispered, and headed towards the exit.  
  
Bailey lunged for Jack, and tackled him down. Jack kicked Bailey in the stomach and then kicked him in his injured shoulder. Bailey cried out in pain and Jack broke free. He ran down the boulder corridor. «John and Carlos will stop them.» He thought as he painfully got up. He limped over to Sam. "Sam, sweetheart." He called out to her gently. He reached down, and stroked her milky neck, searching for a pulse. A faint pulse caused his heart to leap. «She's alive.» He breathed reassuringly. He took his sling off and removed his jacket. Placing it around her, he noticed her cut sweater. He looked down her body and saw that everything was untouched. "If he hurt you, darling . . ." Bailey lifted Sam, despite the pain in his shoulder. His love for her caused a surge of adrenaline and he limped towards the entrance.  
  
"Bailey!" Grace ran towards him when she saw him. "Where's Jack?!"  
  
"John and Carlos didn't get him?" Bailey couldn't believe it.  
  
"I haven't seen them." Grace began to get worried. They walked towards the second cave and found it sealed off with a huge boulder. "John!" Grace called. John's voice could be faintly heard from the other side. "There must have been a switch that triggered the boulder to trap me in . . . " John shouted from the other side.  
  
George ran over, and Bailey gently placed Sam on the ground. Together, with the help of Grace, they moved the boulder enough for John to get out. "I assume the same thing happened to Carlos?" Bailey said, rubbing his sore shoulder. He bent down and lifted Sam up again, with a small grunt.  
  
"Let me take her chief." John said, extending his arms. Bailey held on to Sam protectively and shook his head. "But your shoulder . . . " He started, but was calmed by Grace placing a firm hand on his arm.  
  
"Let him be." She said. They headed towards the first cave and freed Carlos as well. Suddenly, a gun shot echoed through the caves. They all rushed towards the entrance, where they found the guard staring off the cliff. Greg was white as a ghost.  
  
"What happened?" John asked.  
  
Officer Jake Len put his gun back into his holster. "He charged at me, so I fired." The officer was still a little stunned. "I didn't think the impact was that strong, and it pushed him off the cliff." He looked down. The rest of the team did too. There, lay fragments of a man, as water rushed about the blood-stained rocks. Torn pieces of clothes and skin drifted mercilessly across the aquatic deemed cemetery.  
  
The team looked at one another. Neither smiled, but they all breathed a sigh of relief. Sam was finally free, they were all free of the wrath of Jack.  
  
***  
  
December 29th -- Riverbend Cave, British Columbia  
  
Greg had already called an ambulance, and it was already on its way up to Riverbend. Bailey placed Sam on the stretcher and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "It's going to be okay, sweetie." He said, and gently caressed her cheek. He bent down, and gently attached the necklace he had given her, around her neck. He had spent a sleepless night or two, fixing it.  
  
"Do you want to go with them?" Grace asked. "They can also check out your wounds." She said, noticing his limp and the dried blood that had formed some sort of cascade down his left leg.  
  
Bailey simply shook his head and opened his bottle of water. Taking a swig he started walking away. "I'm fine." He muttered distantly.  
  
George came out of the Riverbend Cave with latex gloves on. "We found her bottle of water, and these tablets." He said, handing a clear plastic bag to Grace.  
  
Grace looked at the tablets and immediately understood Sam's state. "She's going to be fine." She said, also starting to walk. George followed along with John, Greg and the two officers. "Sam was administered some Rohypnol."  
  
"The date-rape drug?" John inquired.  
  
"Yeah, nothing serious. I doubt Jack gave her enough to create a dependency, and I don't think there will be any physical side-effects."  
  
"So Jack wanted to rape her?" George asked, disgusted.  
  
"I guess so. I mean, Sam would never be willing, so might as well take advantage of her." Grace continued. "It's odorless and tasteless, and I'm guessing Jack mixed it in with the water." Grace said, eyeing the bottle. "Normally, 2mg lasts about eight hours, but since she didn't drink the whole thing, she'll be fine in about three or four hours."  
  
"Good." George smiled. They were all relieved.  
  
"But, she won't have recollection of the incident. I mean, from the time she started to feel drowsy to when she wakes up." Grace added, as they reached the Lower Cave entrance.  
  
They looked around, and found Bailey's car missing. John walked up to his car. "Need a ride, Gracie?" He teased. "Since your ride has left and everything . . .I'll only charge you half the fare I've charged to George's tab."  
  
Grace rolled her eyes and got into the back seat. George took the passenger seat, not before taking a piece of paper from the windshield. "It's a letter from Bailey."  
  
"What's it say?" John asked, getting into the car.  
  
"He's heading home to Atlanta tonight - called and changed his ticket and everything." George looked up. "Apparently he's not feeling well, and just wants to rid himself of this place, the memories and everything. He sends his love to everyone, and will see us after the holidays."  
  
The team remained silent. It wasn't like Bailey to just up and leave. Something has happened, and they feared that Jack had clouded his mind with some poisonous words. «What could make Bailey leave Sam like that, without even making sure that she was fine?» Grace wondered, as she watched the trees whiz by. She shuddered silently, and willed the haunted woods to be cleansed from her mind. "Can you drop me off at the hospital, John?"  
  
John paused, keeping his eyes on the road. "I was just heading there myself." They rode in silence the rest of the way, each lost in their own thoughts: their release from Jack, Sam in hospital and Bailey on his way home . . . alone.  
  
--TBC-- 


	10. Ten

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : R  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : I hope everyone is enjoying my fic so far. Again, criticism is more than welcome.  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.10) -------------------------------  
  
December 30th -- Delta Hospital, British Columbia  
  
Sam awoke lazily, taking her time to adjust her eyes to the surroundings. A soft hue emitted from the sun danced through a naked window, laughing designs on the covers that adorned the bed. She looked around and saw Grace sleeping peacefully in a chair. Tossing her legs over the bed, she remained in a sitting position. «Why am I here? I just can't remember what happened . . .» She pressed two fingers to her temple and began massaging it. «Jack had captured me, and . . . the water! He had put something in the water!» She nodded to herself. «Now before . . . we're here in Vancouver to investigate a series of murders.» She paused and bit her lower lip. "What else, what else?" She whispered to herself, willing herself to remember. «Bailey accompanied me . . . BAIL!!» She stood up; still feeling a little dizzy, she grasped the bed to steady herself.  
  
Grace opened her eyes and saw Sam leaning on the bed. "Hey!" She said, with a warm smile. She rushed over and gave her friend a gentle hug. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Terrible." Sam exclaimed as John walked into the room. "Where's Bailey?" Tears threatened to spill.  
  
"He went home." Grace said softly. "Said he wasn't feeling well."  
  
"He's alive?" Sam choked out. She closed her eyes with relief. "When can I go home?"  
  
"Now." Grace said, holding Sam's arm. "You were given a small amount of diluted Rohypnol, Sam." Grace said, off Sam's concern. "It wasn't enough to create dependency or cause physical harm - just to knock you out for a few hours."  
  
Sam shook her head, forcing herself to remember. "Jack . . . did he -"  
  
"- Bailey said that you were unharmed when he arrived in the cave where Jack had you. Your shirt was cut open . . . " Grace said, guiding Sam to the door. "I guess Bailey came in the nick of time." She said, reassuringly.  
  
"Then he left." Sam shrugged bitterly. "And Jack?"  
  
John stepped up from behind. "Jack's dead, Sam." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "An officer in Vancouver shot in, and he fell off the side of the cliff, crashing into the jagged rocks below."  
  
Sam nodded, and smiled weakly. She was finally free of Jack.  
  
***  
  
December 30th -- Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia  
  
As the team boarded the plane, Sam felt relieved. She sat down in her seat with a sigh of contentment, and glanced outside her window. Men with fluorescent orange flashlights busied around, guiding planes, trucks and people to their destined spots. Sam closed her eyes, and rested her head back. She pictured her new life: a two story house, with a white picket fence. She could vividly picture Chloe playing in the backyard with her friends. She would be watching them from the kitchen window, and not worrying about a deranged stalker stealing her child . . . her life. Sam continued to imagine hearing the front door open of her house, and Chloe running to greet whoever was at the door. Chloe would run into the mystery man's arms, and he would give her a big bear hug, causing her to squeal with delight. Stepping into the kitchen, he would place a gentle, but passionate kiss on Sam's lips. Sam opened her eyes; she didn't know how long she had been day-dreaming, but she felt as though she was nearing Georgia. She looked around, noticing that the rest of the team were asleep. «You know damn well who that man was.» Sam told herself. Sam tried to ignore the little voice in her head, but all of her attempts were futile. «You still don't want to accept the fact that he left you.» Sam closed her eyes and a single tear slipped from the corner. «He was in pain.» She tried to reason with herself. «Bullshit and you know it. He didn't want to see you.» Sam got up and headed to the bathroom. Inside, she let the water run cold, and splashed some on her face - cooling herself down. As she dried her face, she looked in the mirror. Her eyes traveled to her neck, and rested upon the necklace. Her brow furrowed as she thought back to the night Jack abducted her. «But, it broke . . . did he fix it?» She gently touched it. Her thoughts were interrupted by the captain's announcement of their arrival in Georgia. Sam hurried back to her seat, and buckled up.  
  
"There you are." Grace yawned and stretched a bit. "Did you have a good rest?"  
  
Sam smiled. "Not as much as those two." She pointed to John and George, both leaning on each other, deep in Slumberland and oblivious to everything around them. Grace and Sam shared a laugh as the plane reached it's destination.  
  
***  
  
December 30th -- Hartsfield International Airport, Atlanta  
  
The team stepped into Atlanta's chilly evening. "Good to be home." John commented as he hailed a taxi. John sat in front as George, Grace and Sam got into the back.  
  
"Where to?" The driver asked.  
  
Each looked at the other. "Home . . . " Sam whispered. The taxi driver nodded, as they each gave their coordinates. Sam was first to be dropped home. As she got out of the car, John called after her.  
  
"Bailey said that he'd see us after the holidays, that means that there are no pressing cases at the moment, so enjoy your time off, Sam." John smiled.  
  
"Get some rest, Sam." George called after and Grace bid her farewell.  
  
Sam greeted the two guards, smiling that she would no longer need anybody to watch over her. «But you know who you would *love* to have to protect you . . .» The voice in her head instigated. Sam shook her head and collapsed on her bed. "I wonder if Bailey's in the office?" She asked herself out loud. She rolled her eyes at her ridiculous question. "Of course he's there." She shook her head and climbed into the shower. Coming out fresh and rejuvenated, she grabbed an apple to munch on the way and hopped into her car. She had to see Bailey.  
  
***  
  
December 30th -- VCTF, Atlanta  
  
Bailey had just stepped out of the shower in the gym located in the VCTF building. He had run a few miles, then hit the punching bag for an hour. His muscles ached, especially his shoulder. It hadn't fully healed, and he had been angry at the fact that his left hook was now weaker than before. «No pain, no gain.» Bailey repeated the over-used pep-phrase over and over. He had stepped into his office, and stripped down to his boxer-briefs, preparing to change back into his suit. He tossed his sweaty shorts and t- shirt into his duffel bag and went to retrieve his suit.  
  
Sam walked into her mentor's office and her eyes almost detached themselves from their sockets. There stood her boss, worthy of the name 'God' in all his glory - and only in underwear. His back was to her, so she figured he didn't realize that she was there.  
  
"Sam." Bailey breathed, still not turning around. He had felt her presence but he didn't want to believe that she was here. He still didn't want to face her, and Jack's words pounded his thoughts. «What makes me any different than Jack?» He cursed himself as he began to put his pants on, but a hand was placed on his arm, urging him to stop. "What are you doing here, Sam?" Bailey asked, avoiding eye contact.  
  
"If I knew there was going to be a free peep-show, I would have been here earlier." Sam grinned, and traced her hand up Bailey's arm.  
  
"I didn't think anyone was here . . . " Bailey tried to explain himself.  
  
She continued caressing his shoulder, past the back of his neck, up to his left shoulder, where here eyes fell upon the circular scar. "Bail . . . " She whispered as she gently placed a kiss.  
  
Bailey moaned softly and the pants fell from his grasp. He was powerless under Sam's touch. "Sam, don't do this . . ." Bailey said, closing his eyes from pain and pleasure.  
  
Sam guided Bailey to the couch, and pushed him down. She then straddled him, rubbing against his growing member. She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. Sam then withdrew and looked Bailey in the eyes. A conflicting war was raging, and Sam saw Bailey's struggle to follow his heart, or follow his mind. "Don't feel bad about what you did at the hotel." Sam reassured him. She bent down to kiss him once more, but Bailey leaned in first and kissed her hungrily. Sam grasped on to his shoulders, fearful that she might fall backwards due to Bailey's power. Her tongue mingled with his, as he gently slipped a hand under her shirt. He cupped her breast through her bra, causing Sam to moan against his lips. She pressed herself harder against his arousal. When the kiss ended, Sam leaned against Bailey's chest, catching her breath. She could still feel his erection pressing against her groin and she rhythmically began to move against it.  
  
Bailey's eyes suddenly grew dark, and he withdrew his hand from underneath Sam's shirt. "I can't do this." He stated, lifting Sam up and dropping her gently on the couch. He retrieved his pants and put on his white shirt, not bothering to button it up. "I'm sorry Sam." He said, not able to look at her. He just stared at the floor.  
  
Sam took a deep breath, as tears stung her eyes. She walked up to him, and looked at him, as a few tears escaped, cascading down her flushed cheeks. When Bailey finally looked at her, she slapped him hard, across the face. "Me too." She muttered, and escaped from his office, leaving behind a confused Bailey.  
  
--TBC-- 


	11. Eleven

TITLE : Compromising Situation  
  
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)  
  
CATEGORY : SBR  
  
RATING : R  
  
SPOILERS : Probably  
  
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.  
  
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.  
  
NOTES : Ah, final chapter. Please let me know what you think, it's much appreciated.  
  
Cheers!  
  
Gomes.  
  
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.11) -------------------------------  
  
December 31st -- VCTF, Atlanta  
  
Sam tried to blink back the sleep in her eyes as she parked the car in the underground parking lot. She had to pick up Chloe from the airport in less than three hours, and she had forgotten her late Christmas present at the office. Sam hesitantly looked at her watch. «Bailey must have gone home.» She watched as the watch beeped, letting her know that it was now five o'clock. She didn't want to run into him; maybe they both needed some space. She was hurt that he had just turned her down like that, but more upset with herself that she had slapped him. «After all he has done for you - seen you through thick and thin . . . » She bit her lower lip and headed towards her office. Once she had picked up Chloe's present, her eyes wandered towards Bailey's office. «Just a quick check, to see if he's there.» She thought to herself, as her legs decisively brought her to her mentor's office. She peered in and saw him lying on the couch.  
  
Bailey had decided against going home. He had some paperwork to finish, and figured that only an empty house was waiting for him. So, with a glass of scotch, a cigar and a dim light, he feverishly worked the night away, finally dozing off to sleep at his desk. He awoke with a dry throat, and after quenching his thirst, decided to take a small nap on his couch. He lay there, sprawled out, with one arm draped across his chest, while the other was folded under the pillow.  
  
Sam walked up cautiously, not to disturb him from his slumber. She observed him while the need to touch him began to build itself in her groin. She noticed a stray lock of hair that had fallen across his forehead. She gently reached down to brush it away, when Bailey's hand shot up and grabbed her by the wrist. "Bailey!" Sam yelped, and put her hand on her heart. "You scared me half to death!"  
  
"I'm a light sleeper Sam." He said, looking into her eyes. His gaze wandered to his hand, and he nervously let go. "You weren't going to slap me again, were you?" He asked, grinning sadly.  
  
"Sorry about that." Sam whispered, looking at the floor.  
  
He sat up on the couch and stretched his sore back muscles. "It's five in the morning, Sam." He said, glancing at his clock, and then at her. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I left Chloe's present here, and I have a few hours until her flight comes in . . . " Sam trailed off, hoping he would not press the matter further.  
  
"And the present was in my office?" Bailey asked, wanting an explanation as to why this woman he loved was in his office at five in the morning, and reaching for his face. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.  
  
"Bail, I know you too well - I knew that you would still be in the office." Sam paused. "I just came to see if you were okay."  
  
He got up and started putting on his coat. «Maybe going home wouldn't be such a bad idea.» He looked at Sam. "Thanks for the thought, but I can take care of myself." Bailey said, rather coldly. He was still a little hurt that she slapped him; not the action, but the reason behind the action and this propelled his disgust with himself: that he hurt her - yet again.  
  
"I know you can take care of yourself, Bailey." Sam snapped. "It's not my fault that I care!"  
  
"What?" Bailey growled.  
  
"Ever since Vancouver, you've been distant and grumpy. I know what happened, and I know you feel bad, but for God's sake, get over it!" Sam yelled.  
  
"You don't understand." Bailey said, in a eerily calm voice. "You don't know what goes through my mind, how I look at myself after I have done that to you." He turned away from her, putting papers into his brief-case. "I shouldn't have let it go that far."  
  
"Would you stop?!" Sam cried, batting the papers out of his hand. "Did you ever think that I wanted it to go that far? Even further?!" She bit her lower lip. "Did you ever think of me?" She murmured.  
  
"Of course." Bailey gently cupped her face. "I can't stop myself from thinking of you . . . and that's what makes me no different than *him*!" Bailey dropped his hand.  
  
Sam's eyes locked with his. "That's what this is about?" She looked deep into his eyes, and witnessed the battle between guilt and love torment this man's soul. "Don't feel that way . . . "  
  
"It's easy for you to say!" Bailey barked. "What I did . . . was rape!" Sam took a step back. "Rape! Unwanted sexual advances, but taken to the highest degree. I followed through with my own selfish desires. . . " He paused, clenching his fists. "I've followed you home." His tone calmed a little. "When you didn't ask me to, or when you didn't know it." He paced a little. "I've watched you from close, from afar, had dreams about you, tried to have as much contact with you as possible." He shook his head and tossed his wallet on his desk. Opening it up, he held up her picture. "Carry it around with me all the time. . . I just need to be near you to function." He wearily rubbed his eyes, cursing himself as tears began to form.  
  
"Bail . . . " Sam took a few steps forward, advancing closer to Bailey.  
  
"So what makes me any different from him?" He yelled. He took a deep breath, and looked at Sam with pained eyes. "A lonely man with an obsession. . . "  
  
"You shouldn't have to feel that way!" Sam cried, running up to him. "Because you are different, no matter who says other wise!" She gently took his strong hand in hers. "Jack was purely lust. . . a game." She said, gently caressing his cheek. "I can see the love now, Bailey. It radiates from your eyes, and I can feel it in my heart." She kissed him lightly on the lips, but backed away when he didn't respond.  
  
"Sorry Sam." Bailey whispered.  
  
She took another step back, as tears freely rolled down her cheeks. "Just don't cut me out of your life. . . " She said, and left his office. "If you want," she paused at the door, "you can join me in celebrating the New Year. Chloe has been asking about you." She said. It was an empty request, for she knew that he would rather wallow in self pity, than let anyone help him.  
  
Bailey watched as the elevator doors closed, barring him from seeing her. When she was out of sight, he turned and violently punched a hole in the wall. Turning off the lights, he headed for the parking lot. "At least my right hook is okay. . . " He muttered to himself. As he got into his car, he thought about what Sam had said. It began to snow lightly as he carefully drove home. «Maybe Sam's right., maybe I'm not like Jack at all.»  
  
***  
  
December 31st -- Home of Samantha Waters, Atlanta  
  
It was almost eight o'clock when Angel finally arrived from her Christmas away. Sam greeted her at the door with a plastered on smile. She was still upset with Bailey, but decided to fake her way through the night. «I can cry later with Sara Lee.» She thought somberly to herself. «But my little girl and my best-friend are my priority tonight!»  
  
"So, how was your Christmas?" Angel asked, eyeing Sam's necklace.  
  
"Terrible." Sam collapsed on the couch beside her friend. She turned to Chloe who was playing with her toys. "Chloe, why don't you play in your room. Angel and I are going to have an adult talk."  
  
"Okay mom!" Chloe skipped towards her room. "Call me when the ball begins to drop."  
  
"So?" Angel asked, taking a sip of some hot cocoa.  
  
"Jack kidnapped me." Sam swallowed hard. "But I was rescued, and no harm was done, except to Bailey."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Well, Bailey left to take a walk after. . . " Sam paused, but then shook her head. "Something happened, he left and Jack was hiding under the bed. He injected something into me, and put me out cold. Bailey came back, and Jack shot him in the shoulder." Sam said softly.  
  
"Is he okay?" Angel asked, genuinely concerned, if not for Sam's sake. She too, knew of the mutual attraction between Sam and Bailey.  
  
Sam nodded. "Great recovery, but he's carrying so much guilt that it's eating away at him." Sam said softly. She ran a hand through her hair - something that she did when she was nervous. "But they found me. . . John told me later that it was Bailey who lead them to me, and who rescued me." Sam smiled slightly.  
  
"And Jack?" Angel asked, finishing her drink.  
  
"Dead." Sam said, off of Angel's smile. "They all saw him fall of the cliff, and crash into the rocks below. Plus he was shot in the leg."  
  
"So we're free?" Angel asked, hope shining in her eyes.  
  
Sam shrugged and smiled. "We are." The two hugged, and talked some more. It was nearing eleven thirty when Chloe came down the stairs. She was already dressed in her pajamas and promised to hop into bed as soon as the clock struck twelve. Sam and Angel had taken one look at Chloe, and both opted for the same clothing.  
  
Chloe sat in front of the television. She glanced towards the window, and noticed big, wet flakes gently floating in the sky. Suddenly, the door buzzer went off. She glanced towards her mother's room and figured she hadn't heard the buzzer. Skipping towards the door, Chloe pressed the button. "Who is it?" She sang out.  
  
"Sweetheart! It's Uncle Bailey." Bailey said, trying to dust off the large snowflakes from his hair and coat. His hair was slightly wet, and his clothes were almost soaked. He had been standing outside Sam's house for the past hour, debating whether or not to see her. He waited for the buzzer noise that allowed him access to the elevator. Once inside, he was greeted by Chloe. "Ooh, watch it! Old uncle Bailey is all wet from the snow!" He picked up a snowflake off his shoulder and flicked the water remains at Chloe, causing her to squeal.  
  
"Who was at the door, sweetie?" Sam called out as she stepped near the entrance. She paused and looked at Bailey.  
  
"Uncle Bailey's here!" Chloe said, thrilled.  
  
"Hi Sam." Bailey said softly. He produced a bottle of Champagne. "I hope the offer still stands?" He asked her, hopefully.  
  
"Sure!" Chloe said, speaking for her mother. She grabbed Bailey's hand and guided him to the spare bedroom. "We have some extra guy clothes you can change into." She looked Bailey up and down. "They might be a little small, but you'll be dry and warm." Bailey laughed as Chloe tried to find his *color* and *style*.  
  
"This will do fine." Bailey smiled as she handed him a grey sweater and jogging pant set. When he entered the sitting room, both Sam and Angel stared at him in awe. The sweater stretched over his large chest, and he had rolled up the sleeves revealing his strong forearms. Sam had seen Bailey's naked upper-torso before, but each time never failed to leave her breathless. Bailey saw Sam watching him and tried to lock eyes with her, but her eyes kept wandering to his chest.  
  
Angel finally poked Sam in the side. "He could sue you for sexual harassment, you know." She joked. Sam blushed, while Bailey smiled shyly.  
  
"One minute left!" Chloe shouted out, and both Sam and Bailey were glad for the interruption. Bailey poured Champagne for Angel, Sam and himself, and poured a glass of Ginger-ale for Chloe.  
  
"Almost the same thing." He said, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead. As the ball dropped, they each toasted eachother. Chloe gave everyone a kiss and scurried off to bed. Angel hugged Sam and went to hug Bailey. He gathered her into a warm hug and kissed her on the cheek. "Happy New Year, Angel." He murmured into her ear. She smiled, and headed towards the kitchen with all the glasses.  
  
"Happy New Year, Bail." Sam said, keeping her distance.  
  
"Sam. . . " Bailey breathed. He closed the distance between them, attacking her mouth with his. He brushed a hand through her hair, while his other hand rested on the small of her back. Sam moaned against his mouth, and wrapped one arm around his neck while the other cupped his cheek. "I'm sorry Sam, for everything I've done to hurt you." Bailey said, kissing her chin and her neck.  
  
"It's okay, you've done more for me than you can imagine, and I've never told you how grateful I am to you." Sam said, running her hand through his damp hair.  
  
Bailey placed both hands on her shoulder, and bent down slightly so that they were both eye-to-eye. "Let me make it up to you, Sam." He said, gazing deep into her eyes.  
  
"Oh, you will Malone!" Sam laughed evilly. "You have a whole life-time to make it up to me." She kissed his mouth again, sucking on his lower lip. Her hands roamed underneath his sweater, as she began to feel his hard chest. She brushed her hand over his nipples which automatically hardened. Trailing her tongue along his jawbone, she let her hands venture lower, feeling his abdomen and his hard member. "God, I want you. . . " Sam hissed in his ear.  
  
Bailey pressed further into Sam but then withdrew. "We should take it easy, Sam . . . " He looked towards the kitchen, and finally Chloe's room. He saw Sam's disappointed look. "Let's go away, tomorrow." He said, flashing one of his sexy smiles. "A two-day vacation, just you and me."  
  
Sam's eyes lit up. "Where to?" She continued to rub her hands all over his upper-torso.  
  
"Well, there's the exclusive *Bailey Malone Bedroom* located in Atlanta." Bailey laughed, and gently cupped her buttocks. "Or, you can experience the new pleasure location called *The Boss's Office* since no one will be there."  
  
Sam giggled and wrapped her arms around Bailey. "Wonderful!" She gently guided Bailey to the floor where he lay on his back, with both his arms folded under his head. Sam lay adjacent to him, resting her head on his belly. "I'm sorry Jack poisoned your mind like that." She finally said, after several moments of silence.  
  
Bailey reached over and gently rubbed her back. "Don't be, sweetheart." He closed his eyes, still keeping his hand on her back. Sam fell asleep as well, content to be close with her love.  
  
*** January 1st -- Home of Samantha Waters, Atlanta  
  
Chloe sleepily walked out of her room and into the sitting room. There she saw Bailey lying on his back and Sam with her head on his tummy. She smiled and went to make some coffee. «There are going to be some changes in here . . . » She thought happily to herself.  
  
Bailey awoke to the fresh aroma of coffee. He looked up and saw Chloe standing over him with two mugs. She handed one to him. He sat up slightly, and gently awoke Sam. "Thanks, love." He said, stroking Chloe's arm. She sat down beside him, and Sam joined them with the cup that Chloe had given her.  
  
"Does this mean that Uncle Bailey will be spending more time with us?" Chloe asked, hopefully. She loved Bailey like a father. "Maybe he could even move in with us?"  
  
"I don't think I'll be moving in, Sweetheart." Bailey caressed her young face with his large hand. He glanced at Sam and smiled. "We'll all be moving together in a real home." He grinned as Sam attacked him, forcing him into a hug.  
  
"Really?" Sam asked through her tears.  
  
"Definitely." Bailey replied, giving her a quick, yet intense kiss.  
  
"Eww!" Chloe laughed and ran towards her room.  
  
Sam smiled after her daughter. "At least we know what to do when we want to be alone." She kissed him again. "You know I love you, right?"  
  
"Sam . . . I can't even begin to describe how much love I have for you." Bailey said, gently kissing her hand and slowly moving up.  
  
"Looks like it's going to be a great year!" Sam exclaimed, leaning against Bailey.  
  
***  
  
June 1st -- Bessie Branham Park, Atlanta  
  
Bailey sat on a deserted park bench, reading the newspaper. He had already looked through the business section and opted for the *News Around the World* section. Skimming through, he read the headlines softly. "War in Afghanistan.what's new." He turned the page. "Woman and children die of leprosy in Africa. Man killed by drugged cop. . . " He shook his head. "Lost hiker's body found in Vancouver, lost dog returned to owner, unharmed." «At least there's some good news in the World.» He thought to himself, as he looked at the picture of the dog in the owner's arms. Suddenly, two small hands ripped the paper from his grasp. There stood Chloe with the newspaper behind her back. "Hey Princess." Bailey scooped her into his arms and gave her a big bear hug. "I thought you weren't going to show . . ." Bailey looked around. "Where's mom?"  
  
Chloe pointed in a vague direction. "Over there. She was just talking with one of my friend's dad." Bailey nodded, and started walking towards Sam, all the while still holding on to Chloe. He spotted Sam, and she bid farewell to the parent, and jogged up to reach Bailey.  
  
"Hey you!" She said, giving him a long kiss on the mouth. They both laughed as Chloe covered her eyes.  
  
"Still not used to it, huh kid?" Bailey kissed her on the cheek. He smiled at their life: they had finally bought a two story house and were living there peacefully. Chloe was doing way better in school, and Sam was generally more happy. Bailey too, seemed generally content and it was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. He knew that this time, it was for real. «Definitely true love.» He mused to himself, as he watched Sam pick up some flowers from a vendor.  
  
As they were walking through the park, they were stopped by a thin, old man with a camera. "Family portrait, sir? To remember the wonderful day?" He asked, as he held up the Polaroid camera.  
  
Bailey eyed the small camera. "It's not much of a portrait." He said, as Sam elbowed him in the ribs. "Okay, okay. How much?"  
  
The old man smiled. "Twenty dollars." He put up his hands in defence before Bailey could object. "I take two pictures - you get to keep one now, and I take the other one, enlarge it and frame it, then I'll mail it to you."  
  
Sam smiled. "Come on Bailey. . . " She kissed him on the cheek.  
  
Bailey rolled his eyes. «Fine, I'll humor this guy.» He thought to himself, as he paid the man twenty dollars, along with the VCTF address.  
  
The old man coughed, and Sam was afraid that he would collapse on the spot. "Okay, smile for the camera." He said, and two flashes almost blinded all three of them.  
  
Bailey rubbed his eyes and Chloe giggled. "Don't look directly into the flash!" She poked him in the side.  
  
"Here you go, sir. Thank you." The old man offered Bailey the Polaroid. "Expect your portrait in two weeks." The man said, as Bailey guided Sam and Chloe away. He looked at the Polaroid and smiled. "Actually, it'll be a nice portrait." He smiled.  
  
Sam looked at it and smiled too. There was Bailey, handsome as ever, with Chloe in his arms - balancing on his hip. Sam stood beside Chloe, with her arm around Bailey's waist. Before the picture, she had slipped it lower, and lay her hand on his ass. "It is nice!"  
  
"Can we get some ice cream now?" Chloe asked as she wrestled herself free from Bailey's grasp.  
  
"Anything you want, kid!" Bailey said, as they watched Chloe run up ahead. Bailey closed the distance between him and Sam, and put his arm protectively around her shoulder. Sam responded by snaking her arm around his waist and they walked together in harmony.  
  
The old man watched them walk away and mumbled incoherently. He pocketed the twenty dollars and looked at the newly developed Polaroid capture. Taking out a cigarette he lit it, and watched the smoke create hazy contorted pictures in the air - almost creating a vortex of fumes. Taking the cigarette, he burned a hole where Bailey's head was. He took another puff and blew the smoke into the sky. "Soon, Samantha, soon. " He exhaled . . .  
  
--FINIS-- 


End file.
